Elbow Care for Throwing Athletes and Active Adults

Elbow injuries range from the season-ending UCL tear in a baseball pitcher to the stubborn case of tennis elbow that will not go away with rest. Dr. Taylor Hobson offers advanced, sports-medicine-trained elbow care for patients in Tarzana, California and the surrounding communities. His goal is to reach the right diagnosis quickly, start the right treatment at the right level of intensity, and keep surgery in reserve for the injuries that genuinely need it.

Dr. Hobson’s training includes orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Utah and a sports medicine fellowship at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He has covered throwers at the high school, college, and professional level, including team physician work with the Cleveland Browns (NFL), Cleveland Monsters (AHL), and USFL teams. That background gives him direct experience with the overhead athlete’s unique demands and the precision elbow work those athletes require.

A Tailored Plan for the Overhead Athlete

Overhead sports place unusual loads on the medial side of the elbow. Repetitive stress can damage the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and the surrounding soft tissue long before a single throw finishes the job. Dr. Hobson evaluates throwing mechanics, training volume, and imaging together when a thrower arrives with medial elbow pain. Depending on the findings, care may range from a guided rest and rehabilitation program to UCL repair with internal brace augmentation or traditional Tommy John reconstruction.

For non-throwing patients, the spectrum includes tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, distal biceps tendon ruptures, elbow arthritis, loose bodies, and elbow stiffness after injury. Dr. Hobson uses arthroscopic techniques where they are advantageous and open procedures when they are required.

Conditions Treated

• UCL Tears (Tommy John Injury)
• Valgus Instability
• Elbow Osteoarthritis
• Loose Bodies
• Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Capitellum
• Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
• Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow)
• Elbow Synovitis
• Elbow Stiffness
• Elbow Instability
• Distal Biceps Tendon Rupture
• Triceps Tendon Rupture
• Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Procedures Performed

• Elbow Arthroscopy
• Loose Body Removal
• Synovectomy
• UCL Reconstruction (Tommy John Surgery)
• UCL Repair with Internal Brace
• Lateral Epicondylitis Debridement
• Medial Epicondylitis Debridement
• Distal Biceps Tendon Repair
• Triceps Tendon Repair
• Capsular Release for Elbow Stiffness
• Elbow Stabilization Procedures

Return to Sport

Elbow rehabilitation after a UCL procedure is measured in months, not weeks, and getting the timeline right is as important as getting the surgery right. Dr. Hobson works with experienced physical therapists and strength coaches across the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles to coordinate return-to-play protocols that respect healing biology while pushing toward sport-specific demands. Baseball pitchers, quarterbacks, and other overhead athletes follow progression plans that track throwing volume, velocity, and mechanics at each stage.

For patients whose goal is recreational golf or tennis, or a return to a physical job, the principles are the same. Rehabilitation is progressive, measurable, and matched to what you need the elbow to do.