Tommy John surgery (TJS), known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction, is a surgical graft procedure in which the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere from the patient's own body, or the use of a tendon from the donated tissue from a cadaver.
The procedure is common among collegiate and professional athletes in several sports, most notably baseball.
The procedure was first performed in 1974 by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Frank Jobe, then a Los Angeles Dodgers team physician.
Two players (Paul Molitor and John Smoltz) have undergone the surgery and been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
† Denotes a player that underwent the surgery on his non-throwing arm.