Abstract
ObjectiveSeveral studies have been published regarding the treatment of medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) injuries for professional overhead athletes. However, there is a paucity of data regarding non‐professional athletes. The aim of this systematic review was to compare the rate of outcome scores and complications of conservative versus operative treatments both in non‐professional athletes and in non‐sport‐related trauma patients with MUCL lesions.MethodsA systematic review of the published literature was performed by applying the PRISMA guidelines. A search was conducted using three databases: Medline, Science Direct, and Web of Science. The keywords used were “ulnar collateral ligament injury,” “elbow,” “surgery,” and “conservative treatment”. Patients were divided into three groups: patients who underwent conservative treatment (C‐group), surgical treatment (S‐group), and surgery after a failed conservative treatment (C&S‐group). Clinical outcomes were analyzed: Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), Conway scale, Carson score, and Kerlan–Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic score (KJOC).ResultsA total of 15 studies were included, evaluating 513 patients. Although good and excellent outcomes were found for most patients during daily and/or sport activities, independently of the type of treatment, the C‐group had better results. Excellent results were found in 98.8% of the C‐group, in 88.1% of the S‐group, and in 87.7% of the C&S‐group. The complication rate in the C‐group was statistically higher compared to the S and C&S groups (P < 0.001). However, its complication rate was higher with lower patient satisfaction.ConclusionsThere is insufficient evidence to establish statistically significant differences in the effects of conservative versus surgical treatments on the functional outcomes of patients with MUCL lesions. However, a period of rehabilitation therapy and the functional request of the single injured subject are useful to discern which patients genuinely require MUCL surgical repair.
Highlights
medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) insufficiency is mainly described as a chronic progressive lesion, rather than an acute lesion, the former being a consequence of repetitive trauma, which more frequently affects young athletes practicing sports such as baseball, javelin throwing, gymnastics, wrestling, football, and tennis[7]
Articles were considered eligible if they met the following PICOS criteria: (i) Population: a target population consisting of young and adult patients, with MUCL rupture, partial or total, resulting in medial elbow instability, simplex or complex, which occurred during sport or non-sport related activities; (ii) Intervention and comparisons: the treatment applied based on current conservative or surgical protocols for these injuries, or surgery after failure of a conservative treatment; (iii) Outcomes: the outcomes reported according to validated international assessment tools (Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH], Conway scale, Carson score, Kerlan–Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic score [Kerlan– Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic score (KJOC)])
The purpose of this systematic review was to compile the current literature on MUCL injuries, both in non-professional athletes and in non-sport-related trauma patients, to understand if there is a consensus on surgically repairing these lesions or treating them conservatively
Summary
CONSERVATIVE VS SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF MUCL INJURY and transverse[6]. MUCL insufficiency is mainly described as a chronic progressive lesion, rather than an acute lesion, the former being a consequence of repetitive trauma, which more frequently affects young athletes practicing sports such as baseball, javelin throwing, gymnastics, wrestling, football, and tennis[7]. It can be a consequence of an acute rupture after a traumatic elbow dislocation, often in association with articular fractures[6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
