Why Does Strasburg Need Tommy John Surgery?

(Aug. 27) -- On Friday, Washington Nationals rookie phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg learned the bad news: In order to try to salvage his burgeoning career, he will need to undergo Tommy John surgery.

FanHouse reported that Strasburg, who routinely hurls fastballs close to 100 miles per hour, tore the ligament in his inner elbow in a game on Saturday night.

For those not familiar with the medical procedure that bears the name of another famous pitcher, Surge Desk has put together the following guide to ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, aka Tommy John surgery.

What is Tommy John surgery?
Common among athletes, often baseball pitchers, Tommy John surgery involves replacing the damaged ulnar ligament in the medial elbow with a tendon that is taken from another part of the body.

Why is the procedure called Tommy John surgery?
In 1974, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John was the first person to undergo what was then a revolutionary new technique to fix ligament damage that otherwise would have ended a player's career.

Is Tommy John surgery an outpatient procedure?
No. General anesthesia is required in order to remove a tendon and insert it in place of the damaged portion of elbow ligament.

How long does it take to recover from Tommy John surgery?
According to eOrthopod.com, a patient who undergoes Tommy John surgery should expect to have his or her arm immobilized for the first 10 days following the procedure. From there, a slow rehabilitation process will unfold over the course of the next four to six months, and most pitchers don't return to the mound for a year to 18 months.

Is Tommy John surgery common in younger people?
The incidence of elbow ligament damage in young athletes is on the rise, according to Dr. James Farmer, an orthopedic surgeon at Virginia's Lewis-Gale Medical Center.



What are the chances that Strasburg's surgery will be successful?
Tommy John surgery is widely practiced and has been greatly refined since it began being used in the mid-1970s. Depending on the source of the statistics, anywhere from 70 to 90 percent of today's pitchers who undergo Tommy John surgery can expect a full recovery. And it's worth remembering that John did some of his best pitching after going under the knife.