Review of Current Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries in High-Level Baseball Pitchers

The purpose of this review was to examine the risk factors associated with ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries in high-level baseball pitchers and to provide a comprehensive analysis of both nonsurgical and surgical treatment options. Particular emphasis is placed on recent advancements in surgical management of UCL injuries. As medical knowledge and surgical technology continue to evolve, novel techniques have emerged with the potential to optimize return-to-play timelines for competitive athletes while reducing intraoperative and postoperative morbidity. This review compares established reconstructive procedures—including the Jobe, modified Jobe, and docking techniques—with the more recently developed UCL repair with internal brace augmentation. The goal is to evaluate the advantages and limitations of each approach and to provide an in-depth review of both nonsurgical and surgical treatment options in the context of individual player characteristics, specific UCL injury patterns, and surgeon expertise.