ARTICLE
Figure 1B . Tennis elbow causes pain at the lateral elbow . Posterior view of the right upper extremity . ( Permission Dr . Joe Muscolino . The Muscular System Manual , 4th edition . Elsevier , 2015 )
Names for Golfer ’ s and Tennis Elbow
Golfer ’ s and tennis elbow have classically been described as medial epicondylitis and lateral epicondylitis , respectively , because the pain experienced with these conditions is usually situated at or near the medial or lateral epicondyle of the humerus . Pain from tennis elbow occurs primarily at the lateral epicondyle because backhand strokes require wrist joint extension , which stresses the musculature of the common extensor belly / tendon , which attaches at the lateral epicondyle of the elbow . And pain from golfer ’ s elbow occurs primarily at the medial epicondyle because a gripping and swinging a golf club ( and a forehand stroke in tennis ) requires wrist and finger joint flexion , which stresses the musculature of the common flexor belly / tendon , which attaches at the medial epicondyle of the humerus .
Golfer ’ s Elbow
Golfer ’ s elbow involves five muscles that all attach onto the medial epicondyle of the humerus ( as well as along the medial supracondylar ridge of the humerus ). These five muscles are the pronator teres , the three muscles of the wrist flexor group : the flexor carpi radialis , palmaris longus , and flexor carpi ulnaris ; and the flexor digitorum superficialis ( Figure 2 ). These muscles attach into the medial epicondyle via what is known as the common flexor tendon because the proximal tendons of these muscles blend into each other . Perhaps a better name might be the common flexor belly / tendon , because their bellies blend together before their tendons merge .
B
And because inflammation often accompanies these conditions , the suffix itis is part of the names . However , in recent years , it has become understood that the inflammation is often only present when the condition is acute ; when the condition becomes chronic , the inflammation recedes or disappears . Therefore , the more general terms , medial epicondylosis and lateral epicondylosis are applied instead – osis simply means condition of and does not imply inflammation . New terms have recently gained favor : medial elbow tendinopathy for golfer ’ s elbow and lateral elbow tendinopathy for tennis elbow . These terms are likely better because they capture both the acute inflamed phase as well as the chronic noninflamed phase .
Figure 2 . The muscles of golfer ’ s elbow common flexor belly / tendon group . Anterior view of the right upper extremity . ( Permission Dr . Joe Muscolino . The Muscular System Manual , 4th edition . Elsevier , 2015 )
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