Not all elbow injuries are created equal

The first Tommy John surgery was performed 37 years ago, and it is fair to wonder in 2021 where baseball would be without it.

Elbow injuries are relatively pervasive throughout the sport. It’s hard to imagine how baseball would function without the ability to mend or replace the ulnar collateral ligament which regularly is sprained or completely torn in a sport where fastball velocities have steadily increased. Studies have shown that a pitcher puts more stress on his elbow when he throws harder.

Elbow ligament replacement surgery remains much as it has for years, with a ligament taken from