The Rate of Medial Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair Is Increasing While Reconstruction Remains the Most Common Procedure Overall Among Early-Career Orthopaedic Surgeons

PURPOSE: To determine the practice patterns and complication rates in medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) repair versus reconstruction procedures performed by early-career orthopaedic surgeons each year between 2010 and 2020, stratified by fellowship training and concomitant procedures performed, during their 6-month American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Case List collection period. METHODS: The ABOS database was queried for MUCL reconstruction and MUCL repair procedures reported by ABOS Part II Oral Examination examinees from 2010 to 2020. Surgeon fellowship training background, patient demographics, procedural diagnosis codes, complications, and concomitant procedures were recorded for each case. Differences between overall procedure rates and the associated complications reported were examined. Data regarding the specific injury pathology and other patient-specific characteristics for each case were not available. RESULTS: In total, 187 primary procedures performed to address isolated MUCL injuries were reported. Of those, 83% (n = 155) were reconstructions and 17% (n = 32) were repairs. The annual percentage of MUCL repair increased from 10% (1/10) in 2010 to 38% (8/21) in 2020 (linear regression; R(2) = 0.56, P < .05). The cumulative complication rate for MUCL reconstruction (11.6%) was significantly lower than for MUCL repair (25%) from 2010 to 2020 (P < .05). This remained true among subsets of cases from Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Shoulder & Elbow, and or Hand Surgery fellowship-trained examinees, although only statistically significant in the Hand Surgery subset. Reported complication rates were not significantly different among cases in which concurrent ulnar nerve neuroplasty and/or transposition or concurrent elbow arthroscopy were performed. CONCLUSIONS: Among cases reported by ABOS Part II Oral Examination examinees from 2010 to 2020, there was an increasing rate of MUCL repair whereas MUCL reconstruction remained more common overall. Interestingly, the overall complication rates were significantly lower for MUCL reconstruction than for MUCL repair both in isolation and when concurrent procedures were performed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective cohort study.