Elbow
Elbow
Your elbow joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid. Muscles and tendons help the elbow joint move. When any of these structures is hurt or diseased, you have elbow problems.
Many things can make your elbow hurt. A common cause is tendinitis, an inflammation or injury to the tendons that attach muscle to bone. Tendinitis of the elbow is a sports injury, often from playing tennis or golf. You may also get tendonitis from overuse of the elbow.
Other causes of elbow pain include sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, bursitis and arthritis. Treatment depends on the cause.
News Articles
Rubber Bar Exercises Help Relieve Tennis Elbow(07/14/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_86894.html
Simple Steps Deliver Relief for Tennis Elbow(07/12/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_86775.html
'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age(06/02/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_85085.html
Diagnosis/Symptoms
Bone X-Ray (Radiography)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bonerad&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=bonerad
Conventional Arthrography (Joint X-Ray)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=arthrog&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=arthrog
Elbow Pain(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/elbow-pain/MY00115/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
Electrodiagnostic Testing(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00270
Hand/Wrist/Arm Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/526.printerview.html
Treatment
Hand Surgery: Anesthesia(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/HandSurgeryAnesthesia.aspx
Joint and Soft Tissue Injections(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/injuries/774.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/physical/injuries/774.printerview.html
Prevention/Screening
Taking Care of Your Hand, Wrist, and Elbow(American Physical Therapy Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.apta.org/AM/Images/APTAIMAGES/ContentImages/ptandbody/hand/hand.pdf
Rehabilitation/Recovery
Basic Wrist and Elbow Rehabilitation(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) - http://rehabworks.ksc.nasa.gov/education/protocols/basicwristelbow.php
Specific Conditions
Biceps Tendon Tear at the Elbow(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00376
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/CubitalTunnelSyndrome.aspx
Elbow (Olecranon) Bursitis(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00028
Elbow Dislocations and Fracture-Dislocations(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00029
Elbow Fractures(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/ElbowFractures.aspx
Golfer's Elbow(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/golfers-elbow/DS00713/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Olecranon Fractures of the Elbow(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00503
Osteoarthritis of the Elbow(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00421
Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/488.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/488.printerview.html
Radial Head Fractures(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00073&return_link=0
Repetitive Motion Disorders From the National Institutes of Health(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary -
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/repetitive_motion/repetitive_motion.htm
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00068
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00069
Health Check Tools
Elbow Pain(DSHI Systems) - http://www.freemd.com/elbow-pain/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
Tutorials
Tennis Elbow(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/tenniselbow/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/tenniselbowspanish/htm/index.htm
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Elbow Injuries From the National Institutes of Health(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Elbow%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Tennis Elbow From the National Institutes of Health(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Tennis+Elbow%22
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Real-time sonoelastography of lateral epicondylitis: comparison of findings between patients... -
Article: Long-term results after Ilizarov treatment for severe high-energy injuries of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19509627&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Anterior olecranon fracture-dislocations of the elbow in children. A report... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19487529&tool=MedlinePlus
Elbow Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(tennis+elbow[majr]+OR+elbow/injuries[majr]+OR+elbow+joint/injuries[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+guideline[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
Dictionaries/Glossaries
Glossary of Orthopaedic Words(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/glossary.cfm
Directories
Find a Hand Surgeon(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/Pages/HandSurgeons.aspx
Find a Hand Therapist(American Society of Hand Therapists) - http://asht.smithbucklin.com/custom/index.cfm?section=customer
Find an Orthopaedist(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/members.cfm
Organizations
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - http://www.aaos.org/
American Society for Surgery of the Hand - http://www.assh.org/
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
Children
Elbow Fractures in Children(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00037
Also available in Spanish http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00488
Nursemaid's Elbow(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1082/mainpageS1082P0.html
Throwing Injuries in the Elbow(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00328
What's a Funny Bone?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/funny_bone.html
You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:
Hand Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/handinjuriesanddisorders.html
Wrist Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/wristinjuriesanddisorders.html
Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Elbow Injuries and Disorders is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases -http://www.niams.nih.gov/