Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury

Aka: Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury, Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury, Elbow UCL Injury, UCL Injury, Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Sprain, Elbow MCL Injury, Elbow Medial Collateral Ligament Injury

II. Pathophysiology

  1. Injury typically occurs with overhead throwing (e.g. baseball, volleyball)

III. Symptoms

  1. Pop heard and felt at the medial elbow with provocative activity (e.g. overhead throwing)
  2. Immediate pain and Ecchymosis over the medial elbow

IV. Signs

  1. See Elbow Moving Valgus Stress Test
  2. See Elbow Milking Maneuver
  3. Medial joint line tenderness
    1. Palpate over the ulnar collateral ligament
    2. Efficacy
      1. Test Sensitivity: >81%
      2. Test Specificity: 22%
  4. Medial joint line instability
    1. Laxity on elbow valgus stress
    2. Joint space opens more than 3 mm without firm endpoint
    3. Compare to opposite elbow

V. Management

  1. Initial approach
    1. RICE-M
    2. NSAIDs
    3. Consider sling
  2. Rehabilitation Exercise indications
    1. Grade 1-2 partial UCL tears
  3. Surgery indications
    1. High level athletes
    2. Complete UCL tears

VI. Complications

  1. Valgus elbow instability

VII. References

  1. Hariri (2010) Clin Sports Med 29(4): 619-44 [PubMed]
  2. Kane (2014) Am Fam Physician 89(8): 649-57 [PubMed]

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Related Studies

Ontology: Sprain ulnar collateral ligament (C0160057)

Concepts Injury or Poisoning (T037)
ICD9 841.1
ICD10 S53.44
SnomedCT 11382003, 209453007
English Ulnar collateral ligament sprain, Sprn ulnar collateral lgmnt, sprain of ulnar collateral ligament (diagnosis), sprained ulnar collateral ligament, sprain of ulnar collateral ligament, Sprain ulnar collateral ligament, Sprain ulnar collat lig, Sprain of ulnar collateral ligament (disorder), Sprain of ulnar collateral ligament, Sprain ulnar collateral ligament (disorder)
Dutch collaterale ellepijpligamentverstuiking
French Entorse du ligament collatéral cubital
German ulnares Kollateralband, Verstauchung
Italian Distorsione del legamento collaterale ulnare
Portuguese Entorse do ligamento lateral interno do cotovelo
Spanish Esguince del ligamento colateral del cúbito, distensión de ligamento lateral cubital (trastorno), distensión de ligamento lateral cubital, distensión del ligamento colateral cubital (trastorno), distensión del ligamento colateral cubital, esguince de ligamento lateral cubital (trastorno), esguince de ligamento lateral cubital
Japanese 尺側側副靱帯捻挫, ｼｬｸｿｸｿｸﾌｸｼﾞﾝﾀｲﾈﾝｻﾞ
Czech Podvrtnutí postranního ulnárního vazu
Hungarian Collateralis ulnaris szalag rándulása
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)

Related Topics in Elbow Disorders

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