Vocabulary

What is a tennis elbow (also known as common extensor tendinopathy or lateral epicondylitis)?

Tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis, is a fairly common condition described in patients originally doing racket sports.

This is basically an irritation of the connective tissue which attaches the forearm muscles to the elbow joint.

This is a very common cause of doctor visits with over 150,000 cases seen every year.

Tennis elbow often resolves by itself with application of ice rest and elbow splint and oral anti-inflammatory medication. Acupuncture and physical therapy are also useful as first-line treatments.

The pain is often described as sharp and shooting and localized to the outer part of the elbow. The pain is worsened with carrying any objects with the affected hand and with light pressure on the area.

Interventional therapies for chronic tennis elbow include ultrasound-guided injections utilizing local anesthetic and steroid.

Additional options include the injection of PRP, and amniotic fluid.

In extreme cases surgical decompression may be required.

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US-guided Tennis Elbow Injection Procedure description

After sparsely prepping the affected side ultrasound is used to identify the lateral at the condyle bone and surrounding soft tissues. Under ultrasound guidance the injection is carried out and post procedure a Band-Aid is applied and ice packs used for localized pain. An elbow brace can sometimes be used after the injection although it’s not necessary.

A follow-up a couple weeks later determines if the patient is capable of resuming physical therapy.

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Conservative Treatment

Surgical Treatment

Interventional Pain Management

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