One of the biggest developments in Major League Baseball this season has been the emergence of the revolutionary NanoNeedle device that is accelerating pitchers’ returns from elbow surgery.
A traditional arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies is typically accompanied by a recovery of two to three months. With the new technology, pitchers can potentially return to the mound in half the time.
“Well, it’s basically going to accomplish the same things as with the usual arthroscopy, just miniaturizing the equipment,” ElAttrache explained during an appearance on the “Petros & Money” show.
“So the Nanoscope is about a little less than two millimeters in diameter, so it’s like the size of a needle, and it has a chip on the end of it and gives you about a 120-degree view. That compares to a normal arthroscope that’s a little over four millimeters in diameter.
“So it’s less than half the size, and it helps you get into a joint and into tight spaces without having to have more significant exposure and less tissue invasion.”
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was the first MLB player to have the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0 performed by ElAttrache on May 6 and started playing light catch less than one week later. He began a rehab assignment earlier this week and is set to make his return start for the Tigers on Saturday.
Skubal’s quick recovery could be a game-changer for pitchers who need to undergo a similar operation in the future. Blake Snell also underwent what agent Scott Boras has called the “Skubal Scope” on May 19 and has already begun a throwing program.
While a timeline for his return hasn’t been provided, it’s feasible that the left-hander could rejoin the Los Angeles Dodgers sometime after the All-Star break. He isn’t eligible to be activated off the 60-day injured list until Friday, July 10.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache explains how loose bodies happen
ElAttrache went into detail about how loose bodies in elbows form, noting it is not something that happens overnight.
“When you have been throwing for a while, for years, there’s a lot of sheer on the on the bones in the back part of the elbow, and the massive forces that these guys put on time after time for months at a time, you get some of these little little chips that will either break off because they formed spurs on the back, and those can break, or you can get small debris that flakes off the bones, and those can grow inside the joint like a pearl,” he began.
“They get nourished with the joint fluid. They can start off tiny, but they can end up growing big. And if they’re positioned just right or are big enough, then it gives the pitcher a real problem with feeling like he can finish his pitch.
“After the ball release, he doesn’t feel like he can really get his elbow extended. And the way that these guys throw it and spin it now, if they can’t finish their pitch and get a little bit of the backspin on the ball, then they can’t get it to move, they can’t get it to really finish. Then they lose a little bit of velocity and a little bit of command.”
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