With Tommy John Surgery, Every Scar Tells a Story

The New York Times—October 6, 2015

The New York Times' reporter Tim Rohan provides insight into Tommy John Surgery and the scars associated with this procedure. According to the article, about a quarter of active major league pitchers have had elbow surgery to repair a damaged ulnar collateral ligament.

Typically, the surgery leaves pitchers with a crescent-shaped scar inside the elbow and that each scar reveals the past. For example, which doctor performed the operation, how long ago the player had it and whether he had it more than once. "The funny thing is," said Dr. David Altchek, a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery and medical director for the New York Mets, "nobody ever sees it except the batter."

To read the full article, visit www.nytimes.com.