Lateral Epicondylitis

Lateral epicondylitis, most frequently known as tennis elbow, affects athletes and non-athletes alike. Tennis elbow causes pain on outside of the elbow usually at or just past the joint. Tennis elbow can result from trauma, repetitive use, or even just daily activities. Symptoms of lateral epicondylitis often increase with gripping or lifting.

Your orthopedic surgeon will diagnose lateral epicondylitis with a physical exam. XRAYs are usually normal and an MRI may confirm the diagnosis of tennis elbow, but MRI usually is not necessary.

Tennis elbow treatment initiates with resting the injured tendon, anti-inflammatories, and a forearm strap. Rehabilitation with either physical therapy or a home exercise program helps lead to a tennis elbow cure.  Occaionally tennis elbow does not respond to the above tennis elbow treatment and a steroid injection may be given. The last resort is tennis elbow surgery, when non-operative treatment has failed for an extended period of time.

Only 5-10% of patients with tennis elbow require surgery, but a cure is obtained in 90% of these patients post-operatively. Most commonly, your surgeon will make a small incision to remove the degenerated tissue and repair the tendon to bone. A select group of orthopedic surgeons has begun to use elbow arthroscopy to help treat tennis elbow.
 
The Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) and its publication The Journal of Arthroscopy and Arthroscopic Related Research are devoted to the advancement of arthroscopy. Orthopedic surgeons who specialize in arthroscopy and the treatment of tennis elbow can be identified on this site.