Tommy John Surgery Insight

paultzman

paultzman

Well-known member
2023 $upporter 2022 $upporter
Dr. James Andrews on the increase in injuries in pitchers in recent years:

"I started following the injury patterns and injury rates in the year 2000", Andrews says. "Back in those days, I did about eight or nine Tommy Johns per year in high school aged and younger. The large majority of Tommy Johns were at the Major League level, tiene the Minor League level, tiene the college level and then just a handful or high school kids.

"In today's situation, the whole thing is flip-flopped. The largest number is youth baseball. They've surpassed what's being done in the Major Leagues. That's a terrible situation."

Andrews says the obsession with velocity and spin at the youth level is having a devastating impact on arms and the game itself.

"These kids are throwing 90 mph their junior year of high school", he says. "The ligament itself can't withstand that kind of force. We've learned in our research lab that baseball is a development sport. The Tommy John ligament matures at about age 26. In high school, the red line where the forces go beyond the tensile properties of the ligament is about 80 mph".
 
paultzman said:
Dr. James Andrews on the increase in injuries in pitchers in recent years:

"I started following the injury patterns and injury rates in the year 2000", Andrews says. "Back in those days, I did about eight or nine Tommy Johns per year in high school aged and younger. The large majority of Tommy Johns were at the Major League level, tiene the Minor League level, tiene the college level and then just a handful or high school kids.

"In today's situation, the whole thing is flip-flopped. The largest number is youth baseball. They've surpassed what's being done in the Major Leagues. That's a terrible situation."

Andrews says the obsession with velocity and spin at the youth level is having a devastating impact on arms and the game itself.

"These kids are throwing 90 mph their junior year of high school", he says. "The ligament itself can't withstand that kind of force. We've learned in our research lab that baseball is a development sport. The Tommy John ligament matures at about age 26. In high school, the red line where the forces go beyond the tensile properties of the ligament is about 80 mph".
Click to expand...
I had no idea that many in youth baseball. Incredible.
 
paultzman said:
Dr. James Andrews on the increase in injuries in pitchers in recent years:

"I started following the injury patterns and injury rates in the year 2000", Andrews says. "Back in those days, I did about eight or nine Tommy Johns per year in high school aged and younger. The large majority of Tommy Johns were at the Major League level, tiene the Minor League level, tiene the college level and then just a handful or high school kids.

"In today's situation, the whole thing is flip-flopped. The largest number is youth baseball. They've surpassed what's being done in the Major Leagues. That's a terrible situation."

Andrews says the obsession with velocity and spin at the youth level is having a devastating impact on arms and the game itself.

"These kids are throwing 90 mph their junior year of high school", he says. "The ligament itself can't withstand that kind of force. We've learned in our research lab that baseball is a development sport. The Tommy John ligament matures at about age 26. In high school, the red line where the forces go beyond the tensile properties of the ligament is about 80 mph".
Click to expand...
This is great info. Thanks for posting. Cant argue with research and its amazing they can figure all that stuff out about what max limits are for the ligament etc.
 
Just a little personal story about myself growing up in the 70's and 80's I was very heavily involved baseball and very good and of course had aspirations to make it the big leagues. I was a pitcher and while in little league somebody taught me how to throw a curveball. Long story short, my elbow got ruined (not Tommy John surgery) but part of the bones in my elbow essentially died and I had many bone chips/fragments that locked my arm from being able to move which required surgery. My pitching career was over, still had difficulty with accuracy throwing to bases playing other positions and still to this day have some reminders about the elbow from time to time.

That article above makes so much sense. The arm needs to mature and I learned it the wrong way. I try and tell kids this over and over when given the opportunity. Again thanks for posting that paultzman.

P.S. I still played after the surgery but not pitching and I was lucky enough to have a tryout for the METS back in 1986.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top