Abstract

This paper is a study of the frequency and outcome of tennis elbow as reported by long time players at a major Western Australian tennis club. Data was obtained retrospectively by questionnaire and interview from 260 players, aged 10-79 years who had played tennis for an average of 27 years. Using a definition of tennis elbow as `having had pain on either side of the elbow which had caused discomfort or disability when playing tennis, 59 of men and 52 of women reported at least one period of tennis elbow. The mean duration of pain was 36 weeks. Despite this high prevalence the prognosis was good, with 88 of those affected, suffering from only one episode of elbow pain. In half the cases the onset of pain was sudden and in over half the cases the pain was severe enough to prevent play. Pain was more than twice as common on the lateral as on the medial side of the elbow. Tennis elbow was more common with increasing years of play, age and in women who engaged in concurrent hobbies such as knitting, macrame and gardening. Beginning tennis at a relatively early age seemed to protect against the development of tennis elbow. The most useful reported treatments were rest, heat, massage, aspirin, naproxen, the application of ice after play and the use of the clasp bandage around the forearm. Any change of racquet was generally helpful as was coaching from a tennis professional. The causes and cure of tennis elbow remains an enigma but luckily it is largely a self-limiting condition which will severely affect approximately half of all players only once in their tennis playing lifetime. Verf.-Referat