Little League elbow
Encyclopedia
Little League elbow is a condition that is caused by repetitive throwing motions, especially in children who play sports that involve an overhand throw.
The name of the condition is derived from the game of baseball
; it is most often seen in young pitchers under the age of sixteen. The pitching motion causes a valgus stress to be placed on the elbow joint
which can cause damage to the structures of the elbow, resulting in an avulsion of the medial epicondylar apophysis (growth plate).
Adult pitchers do not experience the same injury because they do not have an open growth plate in the elbow. Instead, in adult athletes a more common injury is to the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow, an injury that often requires Tommy John Surgery
in order for the athlete to resume high-level competitive throwing.
The name of the condition is derived from the game of baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
; it is most often seen in young pitchers under the age of sixteen. The pitching motion causes a valgus stress to be placed on the elbow joint
Elbow
The human elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
which can cause damage to the structures of the elbow, resulting in an avulsion of the medial epicondylar apophysis (growth plate).
Adult pitchers do not experience the same injury because they do not have an open growth plate in the elbow. Instead, in adult athletes a more common injury is to the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow, an injury that often requires Tommy John Surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
in order for the athlete to resume high-level competitive throwing.
See also
- Tennis elbowTennis elbowLateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondylalgia, also known as tennis elbow, shooter's elbow and archer's elbow, is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender...
- Golfer's elbowGolfer's elbowGolfer's elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is an inflammatory condition of the medial epicondyle of the elbow. It is in some ways similar to tennis elbow....
- Repetitive strain injuryRepetitive strain injuryRepetitive strain injury is an injury of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that may be caused by...
- Radial tunnel syndromeRadial tunnel syndromeRadial Tunnel Syndrome is a condition proposed to explain lateral elbow pain more distal than typical for enthesopathy of the extensor carpi radialis brevis .-Etiology:...