Frank Jobe Developed Elbow Reconstruction Surgery to Save Careers of Baseball Players
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OBITUARIES Frank Jobe Developed elbow reconstruction surgery to save careers of baseball players Frank Jobe (b 1925; q Loma Linda University After John’s surgery in 1974, Jobe patiently 1956), had been admitted to hospital with an waited to see the result before performing the undisclosed illness and died on 6 March 2014. procedure on others. “I knew I could transfer a tendon,” he later said. “But I didn’t know Frank Jobe, team doctor for the Los Angeles whether or not it would revascularise and Dodgers baseball club, was watching his team be strong like a ligament under stress.” Only play in July 1974 when something strange after John’s successful return to baseball did happened. The Dodger’s star pitcher, Tommy Jobe perform the procedure on others. He John, threw the baseball toward the batter published key papers on the method in 1986 standing at the home plate, but the throw was and 1992,1 2 and eventually performed the weak. John would later say that as he threw he surgery hundreds of times and trained others “felt a kind of nothingness,” as if his arm were to do it. not there. And then he heard a pop from inside The procedure, medically termed ulnar his arm. collateral ligament reconstruction but John was pulled from the game and was commonly called Tommy John surgery in the diagnosed with a ruptured ulnar collateral US, is now routine. Among pitchers playing ligament (UCL) in the medial elbow. This was professionally in 2012, about 14% had not an uncommon injury for a pitcher, but it undergone the procedure. In total, more than could not be treated and meant the end of his 1000 baseball players, including non-pitchers, career. and thousands of others have had the surgery. Jobe, though, was not ready to declare the Jobe was honoured last year, with John at retirement of John, who at 31 years of age was his side, at the Baseball Hall of Fame for his one of the top left handed pitchers in the game. medical contributions to the sport. Jobe, an orthopaedic surgeon, analysed the In 1990 Jobe successfully reconstructed injury and devised a plan. the shoulder of a pitcher, Orel Hershiser of In the past he had used palmaris longus the Dodgers, for the first time—a feat some tendon from the forearm to repair muscle Frank Jobe was honoured last year, believe rivals Tommy John surgery. Jobe also damage in the ankles of children with polio. founded the biomechanics laboratory at He was also aware that hand surgeons had with Tommy John at his side, at Centinela Hospital to study the biomechanics employed the same tendon to replace severely the Baseball Hall of Fame for his of different sports, including tennis, volleyball, damaged tendons in fingers. Jobe thought that medical contributions to the sport swimming, and golf. He developed shoulder tendon from John’s right forearm might be used and arm exercises for “overhead sports,” to reconstruct the damaged ligament in his left Frank Wilson Jobe was born in 1925 in commonly called “Jobe exercises,” and he was elbow. Greensboro, North Carolina. After completing clinical professor at the University of Southern Neal ElAttrache, an orthopaedic sports high school during the second world war, he California. medicine surgeon at the clinic that Jobe joined the US Army, serving on the European ElAttrache says Jobe “had a dry but excellent co-founded in Los Angeles, says that Jobe was front. He became interested in medicine while sense of humor.” In the early 1990s ElAttrache the first to consider this method to repair the watching surgeons treating wounded soldiers was present when Jobe was performing Tommy ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. near battlefields, later saying the surgeons John surgery on a Japanese baseball player, Jobe outlined the plan to John, telling him became his heroes. with Japanese surgeons present to learn the that without surgery he might eventually throw He studied medicine at Loma Linda technique. Jobe sat down at the operating a baseball at 75% of his previous form—not University in California, earning his degree in table. Without revealing that he was left good enough for professional baseball. With the 1956. During his internship at the Los Angeles handed, he asked the interpreter to tell the surgery he would have around a 10% chance County Hospital-University of Southern surgeons that on this day, for them, he would of a successful return to the game. Jobe later California Medical Center he met orthopaedic perform the procedure with his left hand. Jobe recalled, “We looked at each other, and he said, surgeon Robert Kerlan, who encouraged him to smiled as the interpreter relayed the message. ‘Let’s do it.’” train in orthopaedic surgery. The Japanese surgeons remained serious, In September 1974 Jobe performed the After orthopaedic training, Jobe joined ElAttrache says, adding that Jobe asked, “Do procedure on John, with a second operation Kerlan, who had been named team doctor you think I should tell them? They do know I’m later that year to repair ulnar nerve damage. In for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1965 they kidding, right?” addition to the surgery, John followed a strict founded a practice that was renamed the Jobe, who performed his last surgery in and diligent rehabilitation programme. In 1976 Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in 1985. They 2006, leaves his wife, Beverly; and four sons. he was able to resume pitching. He played for 14 worked closely with other professional sports Ned Stafford, Hamburg more seasons until he was 46 years old, never teams in Los Angeles and treated athletes from References are in the version on thebmj.com. missing a game because of elbow problems. the US and abroad. Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g2774 PB 5 July 2014 | the bmj the bmj | 5 July 2014 23 OBITUARIES grown. She read The BMJ regularly and other areas of south east Norwich. In the Geoffrey Michael Aber kept up to date on current affairs and 1970s the practice moved to purpose Former consultant physician North developments in medicine right up until built premises, and Seaman became Staffordshire Royal Infirmary her death. She leaves her husband, their senior partner. He served on various (b 1928; q Leeds 1952; FRCP, PhD, four children, and four grandchildren. committees and retired in 1982. MD), d 15 March 2014. Catherine Clout Predeceased by his wife, Joan, in 2002, Geoffrey Michael Aber was appointed Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g4055 he leaves two sons; six grandchildren; consultant physician in renal medicine and four great grandchildren. to the North Staffordshire Royal Corinne Camilleri-Ferrante Mark Seaman Infirmary in 1965. He built up a renal Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g4058 Philip Conway Moore became unit that served a population of Consultant in public health medicine medical officer of health for Oswestry 1.5 million and led a team carrying and senior clinical academic teaching and district in the 1960s. He then out research on renal disease, fellow University of Leicester Edward Shaoul became deputy chief medical officer particularly in pregnancy. In 1982 (b 1954; q University College London of Nottinghamshire and chief medical he was appointed professor of renal 1980; BA, MPhil, FFPHM), died from officer of Shropshire. He went on to medicine and head of the department metastatic cancer on 20 March 2014. become assistant medical officer and of postgraduate medicine of Keele Corinne Camilleri-Ferrante transferred then district medical officer. During University and, later, dean of the school to University College London from this time he was president of the local of postgraduate medicine. He never left her native Malta in 1977 to complete BMA and became honorary physician anybody in doubt about his opinions, her medical studies. Initially attracted to the Queen. After yet another and the many national and regional to paediatrics, she found her calling reorganisation, Philip retired but was committees on which he served were a in public health. Various roles in East General practitioner and honorary persuaded to work at the regional reflection of the value put on his plain Anglia were followed by a break to write senior lecturer in general practice level and became regional medical speaking. He retired in 1993 and later two novels and a move to Nottingham Imperial College, London (b 1934; officer. He also joined Birmingham moved to Harrogate where he enjoyed as the East Midlands Deanery’s head q Manchester 1958; FRCGP), died University as lead in the postgraduate golf, photography, and his car. He of school of public health. In 2011-12 from carcinoma of the bowel on public health department. He leaves leaves his wife, Ellie; a daughter; a son; Corinne became an outspoken member 6 March 2014. his wife, Norma; three children; and and four grandchildren. of the group Public Health for the NHS, Edward Shaoul spent 45 years in a nine grandchildren. John Howel Jones and in 2013 she moved to Leicester GP partnership with his wife, Doreen, Norma Moore Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g4054 medical school. She took a serious and transforming the practice into the Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g3793 seriously caring interest in students, thriving Brook Green Medical Centre Audrey Clout and academic life suited her ideally, that it is today. He was instrumental but during 2013 breast cancer was in setting up the Charing Cross Frederick Wynn Wright diagnosed. She leaves her brother. vocational training scheme and was Former consultant radiologist Woody Caan course organiser for many years. In Churchill Hospital, Oxford (b 1927; Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g4056 1974 he was appointed honorary q Oxford 1954; DMRD, MA, DM senior lecturer in general practice Oxon, FRCP, FRCR), d 3 May 2014.