RADIAL EPICONDYLALGIA (TENNIS ELBOW) - MEASUREMENT OF RANGE OF MOTIONOF THE WRIST AND THE ELBOW

The aim of the present investigation was to determine the range of mot ion (ROM) features of the elbow and wrist joints in patients with radi al epicondylalgia (tennis elbow), since there have been contradictory statements in previous reports and apparently no accurate study has be en published to establish these typical ROM values. The precision of t he measuring technique and the active and passive ROMs of these joints were first evaluated in an intratester reliability study in 16 health y individuals, 12 men and four women with a mean age of 46 years (rang e = 26-67). The clinical study consisted of 123 patients with unilater al symptoms, 75 men and 48 women with a mean age of 43 years (19-63) a nd a mean symptom duration of 11 months (0.5-72). All measurements wer e performed using a simple plastic goniometer. The precision of the me asuring procedure, expressed as the standard deviation of the random e rror of the mean, was 1-6 degrees depending on the actual ROM measured . In patients with unilaterel radial epicondylalgia, almost all measur ed ROMs of the elbow and wrist were found to be limited in the affecte d arm. This could give a rationale to use stretching in the treatment of radial epicondylalgia.