The athlete’s elbow

Abstract

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British volumeVol. 91-B, No. 8 Book ReviewsFree AccessThe athlete’s elbow Edited by W. N. Levine Pp. 98. Rosemont: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-89203-455-0. £51.M. ReadM. ReadSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Aug 2009https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620X.91B8.0911124AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsAdd to Favourites ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail This book is a multi-authored monograph. “It is not intended to present the only or necessarily best methods or procedures..... but represents an approach, view, statement.... which may help others.” Those others are “orthopaedic surgeons, residents, fellows, sports medicine experts, primary care physicians and allied health professionals.” – a broad congregation!As a sports physician I expected the title “Athlete’s Elbow” to include descriptions of sporting techniques that lead to injury, their conservative and surgical management and rehabilitation back to sport and above all, planned avoidance of re-occurrence. The baseball pitcher is discussed in some detail but how the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of other sports, and indeed conservative management in general, is either non-existent or glossed over with brief references; autologous blood and doppler guided sclerosant injections get no mention. However, the physician will gain much from the clear descriptions of examination techniques that lead to the diagnosis and need for surgery. There is a wise comment of the problems, side effects, and indeed the change of surgical competence required to perform some of the operations. Referral to the best surgeon is important. Rehabilitation is concerned with postoperative management and time-orientated return to sport, rather than details of training to the pitch of perfection.This is primarily a book for the sports surgeon in its detailed analysis of the varied surgical techniques required for soft tissue, apophyseal and impingement injuries around the elbow. The minutely detailed surgical techniques that comprise most of the book are well illustrated with clear line drawings and intra-operational photographs. Importantly, the differing techniques are evaluated at some length from references sources, and the personal comments help the reader understand the author’s surgical preference.The title “The Athlete’s Elbow” suggests that it is all-encompassing and will be of value to all its above defined audience, but in reality this is a monograph of some elbow injuries sustained in sport, for orthopaedic surgeons by orthopaedic surgeons.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 91-B, No. 8 Metrics Downloaded 133 times History Published online 1 August 2009 Published in print 1 August 2009 InformationCopyright © 2009, The British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery: All rights reservedPDF download