Outcomes following arthroscopic posteromedial osteophyte resection and risk of future ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Posteromedial Osteophyte Resection in Baseball Players Undergoing Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Has no Effect on Return to Play but Decreases Patient-Reported Satisfaction and Throwing Control

“…Arthroscopic resection of posteromedial osteophytes can be beneficial in reducing morbidity after UCLR for athletes with preoperative PI. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 The good to excellent mean PRO scores in both groups in our cohort at mean follow-up of over 50 months suggest that UCLR with arthroscopic resection of posteromedial osteophytes in athletes with PI can produce excellent outcomes. Given the potential benefits of treating posterior compartment pathology, some authors have recommended routine diagnostic arthroscopy during UCLR to screen for posteromedial osteophytes or loose bodies and resect them, if present.…”

“…A number of studies have described the outcomes of arthroscopic posteromedial osteophyte resection. 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 A possible consequence of treating PI is over-resection of the posteromedial olecranon, which increases the strain on the reconstructed UCL postoperatively. 12 , 13 The purpose of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and return to play (RTP) rates following UCLR in patients with and without PI treated with concomitant arthroscopic posteromedial osteophyte resection.…”

Elbow Arthroscopy for Posteromedial Impingement and Fixation of Olecranon Stress Fracture

“…Most recently, Paul et al. 6 evaluated 36 overhead athletes at 5.1 years after posteromedial osteophyte resection. 77% were able to return to sport with 89% of athletes having excellent-to-good Conway-Jobe score at long term follow-up.…”

“…Care is taken throughout the bony resection to not over resect greater than 3 mm, as that can destabilize the elbow joint in valgus, leading to UCL insufficiency. 4 , 5 , 6 Also, attention is taken not to plunge too deep with the osteotome to prevent iatrogenic injury to the articular cartilage of the distal humerus. A bone shaver is then introduced, and the remainder of the posterior olecranon is contoured to remove any bony impingement ( Fig 6 ).…”