Your elbow joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid. Muscles and tendons help the elbow joint move. When any of these structures is hurt or diseased, you have elbow problems.
Many things can make your elbow hurt. A common cause is tendinitis, an inflammation or injury to the tendons that attach muscle to bone. Tendinitis of the elbow is a sports injury, often from playing tennis or golf. You may also get tendinitis from overuse of the elbow.
Other causes of elbow pain include sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, bursitis and arthritis. Treatment depends on the cause.
- Elbow 101(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/elbow/sh_overview.aspx
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Arthrography (Joint X-Ray)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=arthrog&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=arthrog
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Bone X-Ray (Radiography)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bonerad&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=bonerad
- Elbow Pain(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/elbow-pain/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
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Electrodiagnostic Testing(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00270
Also available in Spanish http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00490
- Hand/Wrist/Arm Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/526.printerview.html
- Hand Surgery: Anesthesia(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PatientsPublic/HandConditions/HandSurgeryAnesthesia/Surgery_Anesthesia.htm
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Joint and Soft Tissue Injections(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/injuries/774.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/physical/injuries/774.printerview.html
- Taking Care of Your Hand, Wrist, and Elbow(American Physical Therapy Association) - http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=20403&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm
- Basic Wrist and Elbow Rehabilitation(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) - http://rehabworks.ksc.nasa.gov/education/protocols/basicwristelbow.php
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PatientsPublic/HandConditions/CubitalTunnelSyndrome/Cubital_Tunnel.htm
- Elbow (Olecranon) Bursitis(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00028
- Elbow Dislocations and Fracture-Dislocations(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00029
- Golfer's Elbow(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/golfers-elbow/DS00713/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Olecranon Fractures of the Elbow(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00503
- Osteoarthritis of the Elbow(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00421
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Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/488.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/488.printerview.html
- Overuse Injuries(National Athletic Trainers' Association) - http://www.nata.org/consumer/overuse.htm
- Radial Head Fractures(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00073&return_link=0
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Repetitive Motion Disorders
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/repetitive_motion/repetitive_motion.htm
- Rupture of the Biceps Tendon at the Elbow(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00376&return_link=0
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00068
- Ulnar Nerve Entrapment(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00069
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Tennis Elbow(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/tenniselbow/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/tenniselbowspanish/htm/index.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Cubital Tunnel Syndrome(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Cubital+Tunnel+Syndrome%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Elbow(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Elbow%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Elbow Joint(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Elbow+Joint%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Tennis Elbow(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Tennis+Elbow%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Preservation of active range of motion after acute elbow trauma... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18774042&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Open reduction and internal fixation of capitellar fractures with headless... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18519327&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Effectiveness of physical therapy treatments on lateral epicondylitis. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18515912&tool=MedlinePlus
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(tennis+elbow[majr]+OR+elbow/injuries[majr]+OR+elbow+joint/injuries[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+guideline[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary of Orthopaedic Words(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/glossary.cfm
- Find a Hand Surgeon(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/scriptcontent//FAHSSplash.cfm?Section=Find_a_Hand_Surgeon
- Find an Orthopaedist(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/members.cfm
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - http://www.aaos.org/
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand - http://www.assh.org/
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
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Elbow Fractures in Children(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00037
Also available in Spanish http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00488
- Nursemaid's Elbow(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1082/mainpageS1082P0.html
- Throwing Injuries in the Elbow(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00328
- What's a Funny Bone?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/funny_bone.html
- Hand Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/handinjuriesanddisorders.html
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/wristinjuriesanddisorders.html
- Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
- Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Elbow Injuries and Disorders is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/