The Atlanta Braves have lost strikeout artist Spencer Strider for the 2024 season, with the pitcher undergoing surgery on the damaged UCL in his throwing elbow.

Strider received an InternalBrace™ for his revision in lieu of the standard UCL repair process. Theodore A. Blaine, MD, sports medicine physician at HSS explains what this means for Strider and how the InternalBrace™ surgery is different from the standard "Tommy John" UCL reconstruction. 

“The decision to perform a UCL reconstruction ("Tommy John" surgery) or a UCL repair (with or without an internal brace) or both is based on many factors,” Dr. Blaine explained, with “each of these weighed to determine the best options for each individual.” It’s a significant list of factors, as well. “The age of the player, the location of the injury to the UCL, the desired activity level of the athlete moving forward, the quality of the tissue, and any prior elbow injury history are all factors that must be considered.”

Read the full article at si.com.