title: Surgical treatment of medial epicondylitis. Results in 35 elbows.
abstract: We reviewed 35 of 38 consecutive patients who had operative treatment for medial epicondylitis of the elbow after the failure of conservative management. Their mean age was 43 years and mean follow-up was 85 months. At operation residual tears with incomplete healing were consistently found in the flexor origin at the medial epicondyle and microscopy showed reactive fibrous connective tissue with varying degrees of inflammation. The mean subjective estimate of elbow function was improved from 38% to 98% of normal, while isokinetic and grip strength testing in 16 patients showed no significant difference from the unoperated elbow. Results were excellent in 25 cases, good in nine and fair in one; 86% of the patients had no limitation in the use of the elbow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Vangsness
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Jobe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011300:Preoperative Care; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012421:Rupture; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D016474:Weight-Bearing