Radial epicondylalgia (tennis elbow): measurement of range of motion of the wrist and the elbow.

Abstract

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