Tennis elbow in athletes: More than just tennis?

Abstract

From the earliest descriptions of lateral epicondylitis pathology, there has been an association with sport. These descriptions include a letter by Henry J. Morris published in Lancet in 1882 describing the condition of “lawn tennis arm.” Soon after, Major used the term “lawn tennis elbow” published in the British Medical Journal in 1883, to describe the painful condition of epicondylitis in participants in the newly popular game. This makes it the forerunner of sport-specific elbow pathology that now includes golfer’s elbow, pitcher’s elbow, and little leaguer’s elbow to describe specific pathologies recognized in sport. From the time of that first description, and despite many etiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic studies on the subject, the relationship with sport has been preserved. Although less than 10?% of patients with this condition will be tennis players, or for that matter, athletes, we are compelled to further explore the relationship of this entity with sport, and to understand that tennis is not the only competitive activity among which this injury pattern can be recognized.