Associate Professor (Orthopedic Surgery)

SATAKE Hiroshi

Elbow injuries caused by pitching, including medial ligament damage and lateral osteochondral damage, are referred to as 'baseball elbow.' Our department has focused on the utility of ultrasound examination in the diagnosis and evaluation of baseball elbow. Since 2001, we have been the first in the world to use ultrasound for baseball elbow screening and have been working on elucidating its pathophysiology and treatment. In 2021, we received the 'Musculoskeletal Health Japan Award,' and our long-term efforts have been widely covered in the media.

We conduct annual screenings for growing athletes in various regions of the Yamagata Prefecture. If a baseball elbow is suspected, we proceed with secondary examinations and provide early treatment. In cases where conservative treatment fails and surgery is required, we evaluate the lesions histopathologically, which has contributed to further understanding the detailed pathophysiology of baseball elbow.

At the same time, our department is actively involved in regenerative medicine research for sports injuries, including baseball elbow. In research using rabbits, we successfully repaired bone-cartilage defects and tendon injuries using platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), and we are advancing research toward clinical application.

▲In 2001, Yamagata University became the first in the world to start baseball elbow screening using ultrasound. The medial epicondyle of the humerus is detached at the origin of the ulnar collateral ligament (arrow; left shows ultrasound image, right shows a schematic diagram).
Harada M et al. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2006

▲Pathophysiology and staging classification obtained from histopathological evaluation of baseball elbow lesions.
Takahara M et al. Am J Sports Med. 2021

▲Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet-rich fibrin (PRF)（F: PRF example of use）