Medial Epicondylitis

Excerpt

Epicondylitis, a common cause of elbow pain in athletes and the general population, affects the medial and lateral epicondyles of the elbow, with lateral epicondylitis being significantly more prevalent. Medial epicondylitis, also known as golfer's or thrower's elbow, involves the chronic tendinosis of flexor-pronator muscles attaching to the medial epicondyle of the humerus, typically due to overuse or repetitive stress. This muscle group includes the pronator teres and the common flexor tendon, which encompasses the tendons of the flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi radialis, and palmaris longus, with the flexor carpi radialis and pronator teres being most commonly affected. The medial epicondyle also acts as the origin for the ulnar (medial) collateral ligament, with the common flexor tendon and ulnar collateral ligament contributing to the elbow's stability against flexion and valgus forces. The ulnar nerve runs behind the medial epicondyle within the cubital tunnel.

Although the term epicondylitis implies inflammation, a more accurate description for chronic cases could be epicondylosis or epicondylalgia, reflecting the condition's underlying degenerative nature and the formation of granulation tissue, known as angiofibroblastic hyperplasia or tendinosis. This terminology highlights the absence of a clear inflammatory process, although the early stages of the condition might still involve inflammation.