Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction with Allograft: Is It a Home Run?

Abstract

Since its original description by Jobe et al. in 19861, ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction has become the standard treatment for ulnar collateral ligament deficiency in throwing athletes. There have been several modifications of the original procedure that aimed to maintain the integrity of the flexor pronator mass insertion on the medial humeral epicondyle and to improve the biomechanical strength of graft fixation2,3. Regardless of surgical technique, reported clinical outcomes have shown a rate of return to competition of 80% to 90% for throwing athletes4,5. One common thread in studies evaluating outcomes of ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction is the use of autograft for the reconstruction. Until now, there have been no reports of outcomes using allograft for ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. In this issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Savoie et al. report the first case series, to my knowledge, on the use of allograft for ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. In their study, …