Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtä-mē-ˈjän- 

plural Tommy John surgeries

: a surgical procedure in which a torn ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow is replaced with a tendon graft typically obtained from a superficial muscle of the forearm : ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the medical director for the Cincinnati Reds, specializes in an elbow-ligament reconstruction procedure commonly known as Tommy John surgery, named for the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who first underwent it, in 1974.

—Sara Corbett

But as an outfielder he hurt his throwing arm and had to have Tommy John surgery before the year was out.

—Kelli Anderson

Examples of Tommy John surgery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In his return from a second career Tommy John surgery, Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

DeGrom and Rocker will be entering their first full seasons back from Tommy John surgery. —Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Chris Paddack was rejoining the rotation after missing most of the past two years recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Anthony DeSclafani was a late addition, acquired by trade in January. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 2 Nov. 2024

Shane Bieber, the 2020 Cy Young Award winner, also hits the open market after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. —Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

after Tommy John (Thomas Edward John, Jr. born 1943), U.S. baseball player who underwent the surgery in 1974

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtäm-ē-ˈjän- 

: ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction