Abnormal microvascular responses in a lateral epicondylitis.
The laser Doppler flowmeter, an instrument highly sensitive to changes in blood flow velocity in the dermal microvascular bed, was used to examine a sympathetic vasomotor response (SVR) in 40 patients with lateral epicondylitis. There was a significant association between the absence of a normal SVR in the skin overlying the affected enthesis compared with the unaffected contralateral epicondyle (P < 0.01). These results suggest that local dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system may be associated with the pathogenesis of anatomically discrete pain in the enthesopathy of epicondylitis.
Smith
R W
RW
Department of Rheumatology, Southampton University Hospital.
Papadopolous
E
E
Mani
R
R
Cawley
M I
MI
D000328:Adult; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000502:physiology