What is “tennis elbow,” and what are its causes?
Tennis elbow is a common term for lateral epicondylitis. It is a common source of pain at the lateral elbow and usually occurs with repetitive stress injury caused by repeated contraction of the extensor muscles of the forearm.
The stress leads to microtearing, degeneration, immature repair, and subsequent tendinosis.
The degenerated tendon is then at risk for acute tears with continued stress. The injury is common in racket sport athletes with repetitive exertion of the extensor tendons during the backhand swing.
