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Arthroscopic Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis

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Sports Injuries to the Shoulder and Elbow

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Abstract

Lateral epicondylitis is a common disorder in recreational athletes during their fifth and sixth decades. Insidious onset of lateral elbow pain provoked by resisted wrist extension is the typical presentation. The diagnosis is made by history and physical exam, but adjunctive tests, such as MRI, can be considered if concomitant intra-articular pathology is suspected. With a combination of physical therapy, NSAIDs, and activity modification, nonsurgical treatment is effective in up to 90 % of cases. Athletes may also benefit from equipment modifications or a technique coach. Steroid injections may be useful in short-term management; biologic injectables, such as platelet-rich plasma or whole blood, have shown promising early results but are still being investigated. Refractory cases can be treated with a percutaneous, open, or arthroscopic release with good success rates. Arthroscopic release may be advantageous in the athlete because of purported faster recovery times and the ability to address concomitant intra-articular disease.

Location Statement: Research for this manuscript was conducted at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, 3401 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA

    John Jennings MD, Rick Tosti MD & J. Milo Sewards MD

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  1. John Jennings MD
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  2. Rick Tosti MD
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  3. J. Milo Sewards MD
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Correspondence to Rick Tosti MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. NEON Orthopaedic Clinic, Global Center for Shoulder, Elbow & Sports, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

    Jin-Young PARK

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Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g., consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

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Jennings, J., Tosti, R., Sewards, J.M. (2015). Arthroscopic Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis. In: PARK, JY. (eds) Sports Injuries to the Shoulder and Elbow. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41795-5_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41795-5_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-41794-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-41795-5

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