Background: Injury to the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow is common among overhead throwing athletes and can result in significant functional limitations. While surgical reconstruction offers high rates of return to competition, there are no validated or universally accepted guidelines for determining when an athlete can safely resume play. Purpose: To assess the existing scientific literature for return-to-competition criteria utilized after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: The PubMed database was searched for clinical investigations of ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in overhead throwing athletes published between January 2000 and June 2020. Only studies that had a minimum follow-up of 1 year and included at least 1 specific return-to-competition criterion were considered. Results: A total of 15 studies were included in the final analysis, encompassing 1156 patients with an average age of 20.7 years (SD, 2.0 years). Baseball players composed 96.3% of patients for whom sport was specified, and 92.4% of baseball players were pitchers. The most common return-to-competition criterion, identified in 87% of studies, was completion of a return-to-throwing program, which started on average 16.7 weeks (range, 12-18 weeks) after surgery. A return-to-mound program was utilized in 53% of studies, starting on average 7.4 months (range, 6-9 months) postoperatively. Minimum time from surgery was used in 73% studies, with players waiting 7 to 12 months (mean, 9.7; SD, 1.4 months) after surgery before return-to-competition consideration. The overall rate of return to competition at the preinjury level or higher was 85.7% (SD, 8.5%) at an average of 12.2 months (SD, 0.6 months). Conclusion: In general, we observed a paucity of literature describing the return-to-competition process after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in overhead throwing athletes. Only 3 explicit return-to-competition criteria were identified across all studies: completion of a return-to-throwing program, completion of a return-to-mound program for pitchers, and minimum time from surgery. Increased transparency regarding postoperative rehabilitation protocols and further research are necessary to identify and validate sport-specific return-to-competition criteria, which will ultimately help athletes return to play in a safe and timely fashion after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.
Introduction: Immersive virtual reality (iVR) allows surgical trainees to practice skills without risking harm to patients or the need for cadaveric training resources. However, iVR has never been directly compared with cadaver training, the longtime gold standard for surgical skill training. We aimed to compare skill acquisition using cadaver laboratory and iVR training methods for augmented baseplate implantation during reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA). Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, junior orthopaedic surgery residents were assigned to a 1-hour training with either iVR or a cadaveric laboratory session with shoulder specimens. Before training, all participants viewed an overview lecture and technique video demonstrating key steps of augmented baseplate implantation for rTSA. Participants were assessed by a blinded evaluator using validated competency checklists during cadaveric glenoid baseplate implantation. Continuous and categorial variables were analyzed using the 2-sample t test and Fisher exact test. Results: Fourteen junior residents (3 incoming matched postgraduate year [PGY1], 6 PGY1s, 1 PGY2, and 4 PGY3s) were randomized to training with either iVR (n = 6) or cadaver laboratory (n = 8). There were no significant differences in demographic data, previous experience with rTSA, or previous use of iVR (p > 0.05). There were no significant difference in total Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill score (91.2% [15.2] vs. 93.25% [6.32], −0.1406 to 0.1823, p = 0.763), Global Rating Scale score (4.708 [0.459] vs. 4.609 [0.465], −0.647 to 0.450, p = 0.699), or time to completion (546 seconds [158] vs. 591 seconds [192], −176.3 to 266.8, p = 0.655) in cadaveric glenoid baseplate implantation. Average cost of iVR hardware and a 1-year software license was $4,900, and average cost of a single cadaver laboratory was $1,268.20 per resident. Conclusions: Among junior orthopaedic residents, there is similar skill acquisition when training with either cadaver laboratory or iVR. Although additional research into this field is needed, iVR may provide an important and cost-effective tool in surgical education. Clinical Relevance: Emerging simulation and iVR technology simulation in surgical training programs can increase access to effective and high-level surgical training across the globe and improve quality of care.
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