Persistence of the olecranon physis in baseball players: Results following operative management

The purpose of this study is to report the results of operative management for pain associated with persistence of the olecranon physis in baseball players. Five maturing adolescent baseball players (4 male and 1 female) with pain associated with persistence of the olecranon physis underwent operative stabilization and autogenous bone grafting with second-stage hardware removal. All 5 patients remained symptomatic after a variable length of conservative management. At a mean follow-up of 32 months (range, 7-84 months), all 5 were satisfied with their results. All returned to or surpassed their previous level of performance. Operative management is recommended for a symptomatic, persistent olecranon physis in the high-demand, skeletally mature overhead athlete in whom conservative management has failed. Operative stabilization with internal fixation and autogenous iliac crest bone grafting results in the resolution of symptoms and a high rate of return to previous throwing performance. (J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2003;12:59-62)