Golfer’s elbow, also called Medial Epicondylitis, is a painful condition that occurs due to repeated muscle contractions in the forearm causing inflammation and micro-tears in the tendons that attach to the medial epicondyle. The medial epicondyle is the bony prominence that is felt on the inside of the elbow.
Golfer’s elbow and Tennis Elbow are similar except that Golfer’s elbow occurs on the inside of the elbow and Tennis Elbow occurs on the outside of the elbow. Both conditions are a type of Tendonitis which literally means “inflammation of the tendons”.
Signs and symptoms of Golfer’s Elbow can include the following:
Golfer’s Elbow is usually caused by overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons that control wrist and finger movement but it may also be caused by direct trauma such as a fall, car accident, or work injury.
The golfer’s elbow is commonly seen in golfers, hence the name, especially when poor technique or unsuitable equipment is used when hitting the ball. Other common causes include any activities that require repetitive motion of the forearm such as painting, hammering, typing, raking, pitching sports, gardening, shoveling, and fencing.
Golfer’s Elbow should be evaluated by an orthopedic specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment. Your physician will perform the following:
The treatment of the golfer’s elbow includes both conservative options and surgical procedures. The conservative methods bow include:
If conservative treatment options fail to resolve the condition and symptoms persist for 6 -12 months, your surgeon may recommend surgery to treat Golfer elbow.
The goal of surgery to treat Golfer's elbow is to remove the diseased tissue around the inner elbow, improve blood supply to the area to promote healing and alleviate the patient’s symptoms.
The surgery is performed in an operating room under regional or general anesthesia and is usually done as a day surgery. Your surgeon will make an incision over the medial epicondyle area.
Soft tissues are moved aside for the surgeon to view where the tendon meets the medial epicondyle. The surgeon will then cut the tendon and remove any scar tissue that is present. This is called Debridement of the tendon. If bone spurs are present on the medial epicondyle, these will be removed with special instruments.
The tendon is then reattached to the bone with special sutures. The incision is then closed and covered with a dressing.
After surgery, your surgeon will give you instructions to follow depending on the type of repair performed and the surgeon’s preference. Common post-operative instructions include:
The majority of patients suffer no complications following Golfer’s Elbow surgery, however, complications can occur following elbow surgery and include:
Golfer’s elbow, also called Medial Epicondylitis, is a painful condition that occurs due to repeated muscle contractions in the forearm resulting in inflammation and micro-tears of the tendons attached to the medial epicondyle, the bony projection on the inner side of the elbow. The condition affects your routine activities and sports performance and can be treated either by employing conservative measures or surgical intervention.