Psychological Impact and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomatology After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries in Baseball Players.

BACKGROUND

Significant psychological impact and prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been well documented in patients sustaining anterior cruciate ligament injury.

PURPOSE: To examine PTSD symptomatology in baseball players after sustaining elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury.

STUDY

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Male baseball players of various competition levels (high school through Minor League Baseball [MiLB]) who underwent surgery for a UCL injury between April 2019 and June 2022 participated in the study. Before surgery, patients completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) to assess PTSD symptomatology. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to level of play and player position.

RESULTS

A total of 104 male baseball players with a mean age of 19.4 years (range, 15-29 years) were included in the study; 32 players (30.8%) were in high school, 65 (62.5%) were in college, and 7 (6.7%) were in MiLB. There were 64 (61.5%) pitchers, 18 (17.3%) position players, and 22 (21.2%) 2-way players (both pitching and playing on the field). A total of 30 (28.8%) patients scored high enough on the IES-R to support PTSD as a probable diagnosis, and another 22 patients (21.2%) scored high enough to support PTSD as a clinical concern. Nineteen patients (18.3%) had potentially severe PTSD. Only 4 players (3.8%) were completely asymptomatic. Subgroup analysis revealed college players as significantly more symptomatic than high school players (P = .02), and 2-way players were found to be significantly less susceptible to developing symptoms of PTSD compared with pitchers (P = .04).

CONCLUSION

Nearly 30% of baseball players who sustained a UCL injury qualified for a probable diagnosis of PTSD based on the IES-R. Pitchers and college athletes were at increased risk for PTSD after UCL injury compared with 2-way players and high school athletes, respectively.