Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33681853›Full record

ArticleJSES international2021

Return to play rates after ulnar nerve transposition and decompression surgery: a retrospective analysis.

Christopher J Hadley, Anant Dixit, John Kunkel, Alex E White, Michael G Ciccotti, Steven B Cohen, Christopher C Dodson

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JSES international, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Christopher J HadleyThe Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Anant DixitDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente, Fontana, CA, USA.
John KunkelDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Alex E WhiteSidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Michael G CiccottiRothman Orthopaedic Institute at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Steven B CohenRothman Orthopaedic Institute at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Christopher C DodsonRothman Orthopaedic Institute at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Rothman Institute · USThomas Jefferson University · USKaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center · USPhiladelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMedial elbow pain is a common complaint in overhead throwing athletes. The throwing motion places repetitive tensile and compressive forces on the elbow resulting in significant stress across the ulnohumeral joint. This stress can result in soft-tissue, ligamentous, and ulnar nerve injury. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the clinical findings and outcomes, including return to play rates, of patients who underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery for isolated ulnar neuritis.

methodsThrowing athletes who underwent isolated, primary ulnar nerve transposition surgery over an eight-year period, 2009 to 2017, were identified and included in our analysis. Nonthrowing athletes, those who underwent revision ulnar nerve transposition surgery, and those who underwent concomitant ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction or repair were excluded. Patients were contacted to complete the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic Shoulder and Elbow Score as well as a return to play rate questionnaire. The minimum follow-up was 2 years.

resultsFifteen patients met the inclusion criteria: 13 (86.7%) men and 2 (13.3%) women. The average age at the time of surgery was 19.2 years old (range, 15.6-28.0). Preoperatively, 13 (86.7%) patients played baseball and 2 (13.3%) patients played softball. Two patients (13.3%) underwent a previous ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. There were no complications. The average final follow-up was 65.26 (range, 24.44-113.29) months with an average Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic Score of 64.51 (range, 28.60-100.00). Thirteen (86.7%) patients were able to return to their preinjury sport, 2 to a higher level of competition, 8 to the same level, and 3 to a lower level. Seven of the 13 (53.8%) patients sustained a postoperative ipsilateral shoulder or elbow injury at an average of 19.57 (range, 7.00-36.00) months postoperatively. All patients reported sustaining the injury as a result of throwing.

conclusionThe results of our study indicate that ulnar nerve transposition surgery in throwing athletes allows athletes to return to throwing with low reoperation rates. However, more than half of the athletes in our analysis sustained a subsequent ipsilateral shoulder or elbow injury. Further investigation regarding outcomes in throwing athletes after ulnar nerve transposition surgery is warranted.

Indexed as

baseball/softballElbowreturn to playthrowing athleteulnar nerve decompressionulnar nerve transposition

Identifiers

PMID33681853
PMCPMC7910731
OpenAlexW3012328228

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.