Which ligament is the most commonly injured by the throwing athlete?
The UCL.
Baseball pitchers and other overhead throwing athletes place the elbow under repeated valgus stress, which leads to chronic degeneration and tearing of the anterior bundle of the UCL. Rupture of this ligament leads to instability and accelerated secondary osteoarthritis. Athletes who rupture this tendon frequently require “Tommy John” surgery with reconstruction of the medial elbow stabilizers.
