A study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) found that a surgical procedure known as the “docking technique” to repair a torn elbow ligament in teenage athletes yielded favorable results. The outcomes were better than those in previously published reports on reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), also known as Tommy John surgery, in this age group and may be attributed to technique-specific factors, according to the study authors.
The paper, titled, “The Docking Technique for Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Insufficiency: Two-Year Follow Up in Adolescent Athletes,” was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in Chicago.