Stephen Strasburg Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

Today, the Washington Nationals pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, addressed the media Friday afternoon, hours after it was revealed that he will require Tommy John surgery and will miss the next 12 to 18 months. He said he has a torn elbow ligament.

Tommy John surgery is also called as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction. It is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body (often from the forearm, hamstring, knee, or foot of the patient). The procedure is common among collegiate and professional athletes in several sports, most notably baseball.

The surgery is named after Tommy John, a pitcher who was the first professional athlete to successfully undergo the operation in 1974. The procedure was performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, who also serves as a Special Advisor to Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Frank McCourt.