Doctor says Mike Trout thumb procedure is ‘a little controversial’
The procedure Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout had on his thumb is not necessarily routine and straightforward.
Trout underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn UCL in his thumb, but according to the chief of elbow and hand surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Michael Hausman, the procedure, known as InternalBrace, is not without its risks.
“It’s basically a very, very thick, stout suture that helps to essentially temporarily stabilize the ligament and reinforce it while it’s healing,” Hausman told Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. “Ordinarily, you would have to wait until the ligament is solidly healed, a 10-12 week process, before you could begin to use it and put force on it. The temporary brace is thought to be strong enough to withstand forces early and reinforce the repair and prevent it from being injured.
“It’s a little controversial because the downside is this very strong suture can actually essentially saw its way through the bone. That’s the concern. But it’s infrequent. Obviously, if it happens, it’s a problem. We just don’t know the denominator yet. We don’t know if it’s one in a million or one in 10.”
Trout is predicted back in six to eight weeks. His teammate, Andrelton Simmons, had a similar procedure and beat that timetable, but this is not a procedure without possible complications.
