Rehabilitation and Return to Sports of Elbow Injuries
摘要
Elbow injuries are prevalent in sports involving overhead throwing, weight-bearing, and striking motions, such as baseball, tennis, gymnastics, and combat sports. These injuries arise from a combination of biomechanical stressors, poor kinetic chain coordination, and repetitive loading, often resulting in conditions like ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears, epicondylitis, and dislocations. Despite the elbow’s relatively small size, such injuries can significantly impair athletic performance and prolong recovery timelines. This chapter outlines a comprehensive, evidence-based rehabilitation framework for managing elbow injuries, with emphasis on both nonsurgical and postsurgical protocols. Rehabilitation is structured across distinct phases—acute, subacute, functional, and return-to-sport (RTS)—each tailored to address pain, restore range of motion, enhance neuromuscular control, and reintegrate sport-specific movements. Postsurgical protocols, particularly following UCL repair or reconstruction, demand progressive load management, biomechanical correction, and psychological readiness. Return-to-sport decisions are guided by objective criteria, including isokinetic strength testing, fatigue resistance, and biomechanical efficiency. A multidisciplinary, individualized approach that integrates injury prevention, kinetic chain optimization, and sport-specific conditioning is essential for successful recovery and long-term performance sustainability.