Teniss elbow: Its origins and treatment

Abstract

Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a type of repetitive strain injury, resulting from tendon overuse and failed healing of the tendon. The extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle plays a key role. This disease is a very common cause of the elbow pain in people and athletes between the ages of 30 and 50 years old. Aim: The aim is to present origins and treatment of tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis. Material and methods: The study included 90 patients having tennis elbow, and they were divided to two groups according to different conservative treatment. Clinical and radiographic examinations (X-ray, ultrasonography and MRI) were analyzed during the evaluation. In this retrospective study 2 patients were followed with colour Doppler ultrasound. Results: Exactly 80 patients became symptom-free and regained normal function after 1 year. 6 patients in group 1 and 4 patients in group 2 returned 1 year later complaining persistent pain of the area of elbow, and minimized the participation in sportive activities. Conclusion: Conservative therapy is the best choice for treatment of tennis elbow.