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Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2025; 29(01): 112-123
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1796632
Review Article

Postoperative Imaging in the Throwing Athlete

Dyan V. Flores 
1   Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
2   Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
3   Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
,
Brady K. Huang 
4   Department of Radiology, Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California
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Abstract

Overhead throwing subjects the shoulder and elbow to substantial stresses, resulting in unique injury patterns that need to be recognized to allow appropriate treatment and return to sport. At the elbow, the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is the primary static restraint to valgus stress and the most commonly injured structure. UCL reconstruction is the most frequent surgical procedure in throwers and may be performed along with ulnar nerve transposition and flexor-pronator mass procedures. Posteromedial impingement and valgus extension overload syndrome are related entities that result in intra-articular pathology, such as osteophytes or bodies lodged within the olecranon fossa, also warranting excision at the time of UCL reconstruction. Shoulder injuries involve the rotator cuff (partial-thickness articular-sided tear), labrum (superior anteroposterior labral tear), and capsule (glenohumeral internal rotation deficit). Surgical options such as cuff repair, labral debridement or repair, and capsular release or tightening therefore target these structures.

Keywords

throwing - labral tear - rotator cuff tear - ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Article published online:
11 February 2025

© 2025. Thieme. All rights reserved.

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