title: Elbow medial collateral ligament injuries.
abstract: Elbow medial collateral ligament sprain occurs when the elbow is subjected to a valgus force exceeding the tensile properties of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). This is an injury seen more often in throwing athletes. Understanding the differential diagnosis of medial elbow pain is paramount to diagnose MCL injury as well as addressing other medial elbow pathology. A natural evolution regarding MCL injury has occurred over the past 20 years, with modifications of the original surgical procedure, specificity and sensitivity analysis of imaging modalities, and physical exam maneuvers to diagnose MCL pathology. In order for the MCL literature to advance further, more biomechanical and long-term clinical outcome data for the respective surgical modifications are needed. This review describes MCL injury pathophysiology, patient evaluation, reconstruction indications/contraindications, and current and evolving surgical techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Center for Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, PH 11th Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Ra'kerry K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: William N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ahmad