Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair Augmented With Synthetic Tape
The ulnar collateral ligament is the primary medial stabilizer of the elbow and is increasingly a source of injury in overhead throwing athletes. Acute tears can be repaired via Tommy John surgery or via other techniques, such as synthetic tape augmentation. Despite inadequate outcomes during early adoption, advancements in the synthetic tape augmentation technique for primary ulnar collateral ligament repair recently have resulted in good clinical and biomechanical results, particularly in overhead throwing athletes with an acute injury and an ulnar collateral ligament that has good intrasubstance ligament tissue quality. This video reviews the case presentation of a Division I male Javelin athlete who sustained an acute ulnar collateral ligament tear during competition and underwent primary repair via synthetic tape augmentation.