Ulnar collateral ligament injuries occur when the force of a throw is greater than the tensile strength of the ligament. This causes small tears in the ligament, and repetition of the movement can cause the tears to increase and eventually cause a complete tear. Injury can occur with many different throwing motions, but UCL tears are usually seen in baseball pitchers. Below are the five stages of pitching that can lead to UCL injuries.
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Windup
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Early Arm Cocking/Stride
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Late Arm Cocking
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Acceleration
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Follow Through
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[2] Gregory, B., & Nyland, J. (2013). Medial elbow injury in young throwing athletes. Muscles, ligaments and tendons journal, 3(2), 91.
[4] Fleisig, G. (2010). Biomechanics of baseball pitching: implications for injury and performance. Sports Biomech. July, 46-50.
[2] Gregory, B., & Nyland, J. (2013). Medial elbow injury in young throwing athletes. Muscles, ligaments and tendons journal, 3(2), 91.
[4] Fleisig, G. (2010). Biomechanics of baseball pitching: implications for injury and performance. Sports Biomech. July, 46-50.