Episode 8: Dr. Michael Ciccotti of the Rothman Orthopedic Institute on All Things UCL (Part II)

Welcome back to The Sports Docs Podcast with Dr. Catherine Logan and Dr. Ashley Bassett, where we chat about the most recent developments in sports medicine with experts in the field. In episode 8, we’re going to continue our discussion with Dr. Michael Ciccotti and dive deeper into UCL surgery, including surgical techniques and outcomes for both primary and revision UCL reconstruction.

We’ll start with the systematic review and meta-analysis titled Modified Jobe Versus Docking Technique for Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction. Chang and his colleagues found no significant difference in clinical outcomes and return to sport between the docking or figure-of-8 technique once controlled for surgical approach. It appears that inferior outcomes attributed to the original figure-of-8 technique may be more related to detachment of the flexor pronator mass during the approach and submuscular ulnar nerve transposition.

Then from the November 2020 issue of AJSM, we review the publication Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tear Location May Affect Return-to-Sports Rate but Not Performance Upon Return to Sports After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Surgery in Professional Baseball Players. Dave Altchek and team at HSS reported that professional baseball players who sustained a distal UCL tear were more likely to return to sport after UCL reconstruction compared to players that had a proximal UCL tear.

Lastly, Andrews and his team published a study on Outcomes After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Revision Reconstruction in Baseball Players. The authors found that outcomes after revision UCL reconstruction are not as favorable as those after primary reconstruction, with only half of all baseball players returning to their previous level of play after revision reconstruction.

We are honored to have Dr. Michael Ciccotti join us for the discussion today. Dr. Ciccotti is an internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, shoulder, elbow and knee surgery at the Rothman Orthopedic Institute and Thomas Jefferson University, where he is the Chief of the Sports Medicine Division as well as the Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. Dr. Ciccotti earned his MD from Georgetown Medical School. He completed his orthopedic residency at Thomas Jefferson University and then went on to complete a fellowship in sports medicine at Kerlan Jobe.

Dr. Ciccotti is the current President of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. He also serves as the Chairman of the Major League Baseball Medical Advisory Committee and has been the Head Team Physician and Medical Director for the Philadelphia Phillies as well as Saint Joseph’s University athletics for over 25 years. Dr. Ciccotti has received numerous awards and recognitions for his outstanding contributions to sports medicine, including the George D. Rovere Award for Lifetime Contribution to Sports Medicine Education by AOSSM and The Twenty Year Service Award from the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. He has published hundreds of articles, book chapters and given countless presentations on many topics in sports medicine, with a particular focus on elbow UCL injuries – which is why we are so fortunate to have him joining us for this discussion today.

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The Sports Docs The Sports Docs – Dr. Logan & Dr. Bassett – are friends & former co-residents from the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, who went onto esteemed sports medicine fellowships at The Steadman Clinic and The Rothman Institute, respectively. Dr. Logan practices in Denver, CO, and serves as Head League Physician of the Premier Lacrosse League & as a team physician for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Dr. Bassett is the director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey and practices across northern NJ, primarily in Morris and Sussex Counties.