Rehabilitation of Elbow Injuries

Abstract

Injuries to the elbow joint occur often in athletes. Although less common than injuries to the knee, shoulder, and ankle joints, those to the elbow can present a significant challenge to the sports medicine clinician. Often they are difficult to rehabilitate due to athletes’ unique anatomy and the often excessively high stresses applied to the elbow joint during specific sport movements. Elbow injuries can occur due to microtraumatic repetitive stresses or macrotraumatic force. Overhead athletes experience sports-specific patterns of injury to the elbow. The repetitive overhead motion involved in throwing or tennis service is responsible for unique specific injuries. These may be caused by chronic stress overload or repetitive traumatic stress. Conversely, injuries to the elbow can occur due to large magnitude stresses during sports such as football, hockey, wrestling, or soccer. In these contact sports, falls onto an extended arm, blows to the arm, or abnormal movements can result in elbow dislocations, fractures, or muscular strains.