Boos, Alexander

Background: Injury to the medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) is a common setback for throwing athletes, often requiring reconstruction with 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation. The authors previously described a more anatomic technique with improved mechanical strength as compared with the docking technique, which may allow for an accelerated return to sport. Purpose: To evaluate return-to-sport rates, time to return to sport, and the effect on the functional performance of amateur and professional throwing athletes who underwent anatomic MUCL reconstruction with suture tape augmentation. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A retrospective case series was performed including baseball players who underwent anatomic MUCL reconstruction with suture tape augmentation by a single surgeon from 2018 to 2022. Inclusion criteria consisted of a minimum 2-year follow-up, participation in baseball, and utilization of autograft (palmaris longus or gracilis). Patients who underwent previous MUCL reconstruction were excluded from the study. All patients initially followed an accelerated rehabilitation protocol. Outcome measures were collected, including Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), and Conway-Jobe scores, as well as throwing metrics such as ball velocity and spin rate. Results: Thirty-four baseball players (mean ± SD age, 21 ± 3 years) underwent primary MUCL reconstruction. Time of final follow-up was 36.1 ± 10.3 months. Of these, 16 were professional athletes and 18 were amateur. All throwers returned to live gameplay at a mean 10.1 ± 2.0 months after reconstruction (professional, 10.6 ± 2.3; amateur, 9.7 ± 1.8). Furthermore, 97% (94% professional, 100% amateur) advanced through the accelerated postoperative protocol without issues, and 91% (88% professional, 94% amateur) returned to the same role and 85% (75% professional, 94% amateur) to the same level of play. Professional postinjury KJOC scores improved from 42.6 ± 16 to 87.5 ± 8.3 and SANE scores from 25.0 ± 11.2 to 95.6 ± 4.2. Amateur postinjury KJOC scores improved from 35.6 ± 10.7 to 90.9 ± 8.6 and SANE scores from 57.5 ± 16.9 to 95.2 ± 7.2. No significant difference was identified in preinjury versus postreconstruction throwing velocity, ball spin rate, or horizontal/vertical ball movement. The overall failure rate was 2.9%, with 1 professional pitcher requiring revision for graft rupture at 3 years postoperatively. Conclusion: Anatomic reconstruction of the MUCL with suture tape is a viable option for MUCL injuries, allowing an expedited return to sport at 10.1 ± 2.0 months (professional, 10.6 ± 2.3; amateur, 9.7 ± 1.8) in baseball players, with a low failure rate.

Background: Bucket-handle meniscal tears (BHMTs) are a common subtype of meniscal tears that represent a clinical challenge. Arthroscopic inside-out repair has been considered the gold standard in treatment; however, an all-inside approach has gained widespread popularity, with limited long-term evidence. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to (1) compare long-term clinical outcomes and rates of failure after surgical repair of BHMTs using the all-inside versus inside-out technique, and 2) identify risk factors for failure at long-term follow-up. It was hypothesized that clinical outcomes and rates of failure would be similar between the 2 techniques. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Patients who had undergone surgical repair of BHMTs between 2003 and 2013 at a single institution were identified. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were assessed preoperatively and at the latest follow-up using the Tegner scale, International Knee Documentation Committee questionnaire, and visual analog scale pain at rest and with activity. A univariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify predictors for repair failure, defined as revision meniscal surgery and/or documented meniscal retear. Results: In total, 63 patients were included (37 with inside-out repair, 26 with all-inside repair). At a mean follow-up of 11.2 years, the survival rate for BHMT repair was 63% overall, 70% for all-inside repairs, and 60% for inside-out repairs ( P = .37). The mean time to failure was 2.6 years for all-inside repairs and 2.5 years for inside-out repairs ( P = .98). PROM scores were not significantly different between the 2 repair groups ( P > .22). Univariate Cox proportional hazards model for failure demonstrated that increasing age at surgery was associated with lower failure rates (hazard ratio, 0.91 change per 1-year increase in age; 95% CI, 0.84-0.98) and medial meniscus repair was associated with higher failure rates (hazard ratio, 3.12; 95% CI, 1.14-8.77). Conclusion: Long-term follow-up of BHMT repair demonstrated satisfactory clinical outcomes and failure rates. In appropriately selected patients, the all-inside technique did not compromise outcome as compared with the inside-out repair techniques. For both methods, older age was associated with lower failure rates and medial meniscus repair was associated with increased failure.

Background: The number of hip arthroscopies performed in the United States has grown significantly over the past several decades, with evolving indications and emerging techniques. Purposes: To (1) examine the evolution of hip arthroscopy at 3 tertiary referral centers between 1988 and 2022 and (2) quantify trends in patient demographics and procedures performed. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy at 3 academic centers between 1988 and 2022. Demographic data were collected using standardized forms and operative notes, and intraoperative images were manually reviewed for each patient to determine the specific procedures performed at the time of the hip arthroscopy. Surgical procedures were plotted over time to evaluate trends. Patients were divided into 3 time periods for comparison: early hip arthroscopy from 1988 to 2008, 2009 (the time of the first labral repair in our cohort) to 2015, and 2016 to 2022. Results: A total of 3000 patients (age, 35.7 ± 13.8 years; age range, 10-89 years; female sex, 2109 (70.3%); body mass index, 27.4 ± 6.3 kg/m 2 ) underwent arthroscopic hip procedures between 1988 and 2022. The mean number of cases increased from a mean of 3.2 per year in 1988-2008 to 285.9 per year in 2016-2022 ( P < .001). Labral treatment at the time of primary hip arthroscopy evolved from 100% debridement and 0% repair in 1988-2008 to 5.0% debridement, 94.0% repair, and 1.0% labral reconstruction in 2016-2022 ( P < .001). Cam resection increased from 4.1% in 1988-2008 to 86.9% in 2016-2022 ( P < .001). By 2022, 45 out of 325 cases (13.8%) were revisions. The rate of capsular repair at the time of primary hip arthroscopy increased from 0.0% in 1988-2008 up to 81.0% in 2016-2022. Conclusion: There has been a significant growth of hip arthroscopy volumes as well as a significant transition from use as a tool for diagnosis and labral debridement to procedures restoring native anatomy including labral repair, cam resection, capsular repair, periacetabular osteotomy, and gluteal repair.

Background: Understanding interactions between multiple risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers is important to identify potential avenues by which risk can be reduced while minimizing impact on player performance. Purpose: To apply a novel game theory–based approach to develop a machine-learning model predictive of next-season shoulder and elbow injuries in MLB pitchers and use this model to understand interdependencies and interaction effects between the most important risk factors. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Pitcher demographics, workload measures, pitch-tracking metrics, and injury data between 2017 and 2022 were used to construct a database of MLB pitcher-years, where each item in the database corresponded to a pitcher's information and metrics for that year. An extreme gradient boosting machine-learning model was trained to predict next-season shoulder and elbow injuries utilizing Shapley additive explanation values to quantify feature importance as well as interdependencies and interaction effects between predictive variables. Results: A total of 3808 pitcher-years were included in this analysis; 606 (15.9%) of these involved a shoulder or elbow injury resulting in placement on the MLB injured list. Of the >65 candidate features (including workload, demographic, and pitch-tracking metrics), the most important contributors to predicting shoulder/elbow injury were increased: pitch velocity (all pitch types), utilization of sliders (SLs), fastball (FB) spin rate, FB horizontal movement, and player age. The strongest game theory interaction effects were that higher FB velocity did not alter a younger pitcher's predicted risk of shoulder/elbow injury versus older pitchers, risk of shoulder/elbow injury increased with the number of high-velocity pitches thrown (regardless of pitch type and in an additive fashion), and FB velocity <95 mph (<152.9 kph) demonstrated strong negative interaction effects with higher SL percentage, suggesting that the overall predicted risk of injury for pitchers throwing a high number of SLs could be attenuated by lower FB velocity. Conclusion: Pitch-tracking metrics were substantially more predictive of future injury than player demographics and workload metrics. There were many significant game theory interdependencies of injury risk. Notably, the increased risk of injury that was conferred by throwing with a high velocity was even further magnified if the pitchers were also older, threw a high percentage of SLs, and/or threw a greater number of pitches.

Background: Nonoperative management versus early reconstruction for partial tears of the medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) remains controversial, with the most common treatment options for partial tears consisting of rest, rehabilitation, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and/or surgical intervention. However, whether the improved outcomes reported for treatments such as MUCL reconstruction (UCLR) or nonoperative management with a series of PRP injections justifies their increased upfront costs remains unknown. Purpose: To compare the cost-effectiveness of an initial trial of physical therapy alone, an initial trial of physical therapy plus a series of PRP injections, and early UCLR to determine the preferred cost-effective treatment strategy for young, high-level baseball pitchers with partial tears of the MUCL and with aspirations to continue play at the next level (ie, collegiate and/or professional). Study Design: Economic and decision analysis; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A Markov chain Monte Carlo probabilistic model was developed to evaluate the outcomes and costs of 1000 young, high-level, simulated pitchers undergoing nonoperative management with and without PRP versus early UCLR for partial MUCL tears. Utility values, return to play rates, and transition probabilities were derived from the published literature. Costs were determined based on the typical patient undergoing each treatment strategy at the authors’ institution. Outcome measures included costs, acquired playing years (PYs), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Results: The mean total costs resulting from nonoperative management without PRP, nonoperative management with PRP, and early UCLR were $22,520, $24,800, and $43,992, respectively. On average, early UCLR produced an additional 4.0 PYs over the 10-year time horizon relative to nonoperative management, resulting in an ICER of $5395/PY, which falls well below the $50,000 willingness-to-pay threshold. Overall, early UCLR was determined to be the preferred cost-effective strategy in 77.5% of pitchers included in the microsimulation model, with nonoperative management with PRP determined to be the preferred strategy in 15% of pitchers and nonoperative management alone in 7.5% of pitchers. Conclusion: Despite increased upfront costs, UCLR is a more cost-effective treatment option for partial tears of the MUCL than an initial trial of nonoperative management for most high-level baseball pitchers.

Background: Injury to the medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) is a common setback experienced by many throwing athletes often requiring reconstruction with 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation. Current reconstructive techniques fail to anatomically restore the MUCL. This presentation demonstrates the “anatomic technique” for reconstruction of the MUCL supplemented by internal brace augmentation. Indications: Initial injuries of the MUCL can often be managed conservatively; however, many complete tears and those failing nonoperative management are frequently treated with MUCL reconstruction. Technique Description: After graft harvest, a 6-cm incision is created over the medial epicondyle to expose the sublime tubercle and medial epicondyle. Sutures are placed through the torn ligament which are used to formally repair the native ligament. A 4-mm socket is drilled in the MUCL origin of the medial epicondyle, and two 2-mm penetrating sockets are drilled toward the base of the 4-mm socket. The sutures in the native ligament are passed through the sockets and later tied over the bone bridge to complete the native ligament repair. A tight rope is shuttled through the medial epicondyle socket and assembled. The palmaris longus autograft and a suture tape are loaded onto the tightrope and reduced into the humeral socket. On the ulna, soft suture anchors are placed on either side of the sublime tubercle. The distal end of the graft is then sutured utilizing a FiberWire. The graft is secured to the sublime tubercle by tying down the previously placed suture anchors. The suture tapes and internal brace are loaded into a SwiveLock suture anchor, which is fixed distally along the sublime tubercle ridge creating an anatomic reconstruction. Then, the native ligament sutures and tight rope are re-tensioned and tied across the humeral bone bridge for final fixation. Results: In our cohort of 26 professional and amateur throwers, >90% returned to play at the same level at a mean of 9.9 months postoperatively. Discussion/Conclusion: Anatomic reconstruction of the MUCL with internal bracing is a viable option for MUCL injuries and may allow expedited return to sport for most athletes. Patient Consent Disclosure Statement: The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.

Context: The quality and interprogram variability of publicly available throwing programs have not been assessed. Objective: To (1) identify publicly available interval throwing programs, (2) describe their components and structure, and (3) evaluate their quality, variability, and completeness. Data Sources: Google, Bing, Yahoo; keyword: “interval throwing program.” Study Selection: Baseball-specific publicly available programs. Study Design: Systematic review. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Data Extraction: Independent evaluation by 2 authors using a novel 21-item Quality Assessment Rubric (QAR). Results: Of the 99 included programs, 54% were designed for return from injury/surgery; 42% explicitly stated no expected timeline for completion, and approximately 40% did not provide criteria to initiate the program. Program construction was highly variable. There were broad-ranging shortest (mean: 40±8 ft, range: 20-45 ft) and longest (mean: 150±33 ft, range: 90-250 ft) long toss distances, and variable maximum numbers of mound pitches thrown before returning to game play (range: 40-120, mean: 85). Only 63% of programs provided guidelines for handling setbacks, and standardized warm-ups, arm care, and concomitant training were absent in 32%, 63%, and 47% of programs, respectively. Mean QAR completion rate and QAR item response rate were low (62 ± 4% [range, 24-91%], 62 ± 24% [range, 7-99%], respectively). Finally, only 20 (20%) programs provided at least 1 peer-reviewed reference, most of which were published >10 years ago. Conclusion: Publicly available interval throwing programs are readily available but demonstrate significant interprogram heterogeneity across multiple areas including target audience, program construction, progression, and execution. The quality and consistency of publicly available interval throwing programs is poor at this time, which may limit their utility and effectiveness for baseball players attempting to return to competition. This work identifies a multitude of deficiencies in currently available throwing programs that should be targets of future improvement efforts.

Background: Hip arthroscopy is rapidly advancing, with positive published outcomes at short- and midterm follow-up; however, available long-term data remain limited. Purpose: To evaluate outcomes of primary hip arthroscopy at a minimum 10-year follow-up at 2 academic centers by describing patient-reported outcomes and determining reoperation and total hip arthroplasty (THA) rates. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Patients with primary hip arthroscopy performed between January 1988 and April 2013 at 2 academic centers were evaluated for postoperative patient-reported outcomes—including the visual analog scale, Tegner Activity Scale score, Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living and Sport Specific subscales, modified Harris Hip Score, Nonarthritic Hip Score, 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool, surgery satisfaction, and reoperations. Results: A total of 294 patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy (age, 40 ± 14 years; 66% women; body mass index, 27 ± 6) were followed for 12 ± 3 years (range, 10-24 years) postoperatively. Labral debridement and repair were performed in 41% and 59% of patients, respectively. Of all patients who underwent interportal capsulotomy, 2% were extended to a T-capsulotomy, and 11% underwent capsular repair. At final follow-up, patients reported a mean visual analog scale at rest of 2 ± 2 and with use of 3 ± 3, a 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool of 68 ± 27, a Nonarthritic Hip Score of 81 ± 18, a modified Harris Hip Score of 79 ± 17, and a Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living of 82 ± 19 and Sport Specific subscale of 74 ± 25. The mean surgical satisfaction was 8.4 ± 2.4 on a 10-point scale, with 10 representing the highest level of satisfaction. In total, 96 hips (33%) underwent reoperation—including 65 hips (22%) converting to THA. THA risk factors included older age, higher body mass index, lower lateral center-edge angle, larger alpha angle, higher preoperative Tönnis grade, as well as labral debridement and capsular nonrepair ( P≤ .039). Patients undergoing combined labral and capsular repair demonstrated a THA conversion rate of 3% compared with 31% for patients undergoing combined labral debridement and capsular nonrepair ( P = .006). Labral repair trended toward increased 10-year THA-free survival (84% vs 77%; P = .085), while capsular repair demonstrated significantly increased 10-year THA-free survival (97% vs 79%; P = .033). Conclusion: At a minimum 10-year follow-up, patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy demonstrated high satisfaction and acceptable outcome scores. In total, 33% of patients underwent reoperation—including 22% who underwent THA. Conversion to THA was associated with patient factors including older age, higher Tönnis grade, and potentially modifiable surgical factors such as labral debridement and capsular nonrepair.

Background: Hip arthroscopy in patients with borderline hip dysplasia has satisfactory outcomes at short-term follow-up; however, the data on midterm outcomes are inconsistent, and failure rates are high in some studies, limiting understanding of the role and utility of hip arthroscopy in this patient cohort. Purpose: To provide an up-to-date, evidence-based review of the clinical outcomes of primary hip arthroscopy in patients with frank or borderline hip dysplasia at ≥5-year follow-up and report the failure rate and progression to total hip arthroplasty in this cohort. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies were included if they evaluated outcomes of primary hip arthroscopy in patients with lateral center-edge angle (LCEA) <25° at ≥5-year follow-up. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies scoring system. Level of evidence was determined using criteria from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Results: Nine studies were included in this review. Patients with LCEA <25° demonstrated satisfactory clinical outcomes, high patient satisfaction, and significant postoperative improvements in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at follow-up ranging from a ≥5 to 10 years. Studies comparing patients with dysplasia to those without did not demonstrate significant differences in preoperative, postoperative, or delta PROs or in failure, reoperation, or revision rates. There was no overall significant correlation between outcomes and LCEA stratification. Conclusion: Hip arthroscopy in carefully selected patients with LCEA <25° can be successful at mid- to long-term follow-up and may provide clinical outcomes and failure rates comparable with patients with normal LCEA, understanding that this is a singular, 2-dimensional radiographic measure that does not differentiate instability from impingement or combinations thereof, warranting future studies delineating these differences. These findings suggest that hip dysplasia may not be an absolute contraindication for isolated hip arthroscopy and may serve as a viable intervention with consideration of staged future periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). Importantly, this review does not suggest that hip arthroscopy alters the natural history of dysplasia; therefore, patients with dysplasia should be counseled on the potential utility of PAO by appropriate hip preservation specialists.

Background: Wrestling is a physically demanding sport with young athletes prone to traumatic shoulder instability and a paucity of data evaluating the results of shoulder instability surgery (SIS). Purpose: To assess reoperation rates, patient-reported outcomes, and return to wrestling (RTW) after SIS in a cohort of competitive wrestlers. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: All competitive wrestlers with a history of shoulder instability and subsequent surgery at a single institution between 1996 and 2020 were identified. All directions of shoulder instability (anterior shoulder instability [ASI], posterior shoulder instability [PSI], and traumatic multidirectional shoulder instability [TMDI]) were analyzed. Exclusions included revision SIS and <2 years of follow-up. Athletes were contacted for determination of complications, RTW, and Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index scores. Results: Ultimately, 104 wrestlers were included with a mean age at initial instability of 16.9 years (range, 12.0-22.7 years), mean age at surgery of 18.9 years (range, 14.0-29.0 years), and a mean follow-up of 5.2 years (range, 2.0-22.0 years). A total of 58 (55.8%) wrestlers were evaluated after a single shoulder instability event, while 46 (44.2%) sustained multiple events before evaluation. ASI was the most common direction (n = 79; 76.0%), followed by PSI (n = 14; 13.5%) and TMDI (n = 11; 10.6%). Surgical treatment was most commonly an arthroscopic soft tissue stabilization (n = 88; 84.6%), with open soft tissue repair (n = 13; 12.5%) and open bony augmentation (n = 3; 2.9%) performed less frequently. RTW occurred in 57.3% of wrestlers at a mean of 9.8 months. Recurrent instability was the most common complication, occurring in 18 (17.3%) wrestlers. Revision SIS was performed in 15 (14.4%) wrestlers. Across the entire cohort, survivorship rates free from recurrent instability and revision surgery were 90.4% and 92.5% at 2 years, 71.9% and 70.7% at 5 years, and 71.9% and 66.5% at 10 years, respectively. Preoperative recurrent instability was an independent risk factor for postoperative recurrent instability (hazard ratio, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.33-11.03; P = .012). Conclusion: Competitive wrestlers with multiple dislocations before initial clinical evaluation were 3.8 times more likely to experience postoperative recurrent instability. Patients should be counseled that despite SIS, only 57.3% returned to wrestling after surgery.