[Medial epicondylitis. Etiology, diagnosis, therapeutic modalities].

Abstract

Medial epicondylitis is rather uncommon, less frequent than external epicondylitis. For this reason, the diagnosis is thought of rather late. While taking the history, one should try to find out the possible causative effects. Symptoms of irritation of the cubital nerve, which are present in one out of five cases should be looked for. Several sports such as baseball, javelin or weight throwing, volleyball, climbing, tennis, golf, which need a strong flexion of the hand and fingers can induce this condition. However, in more than half of our patients, sports or professional activities were not in cause. The majority were housewives and do-it-yourself enthusiasts. Among our 55 operated cases, out of which few had professional or sports activities, we did not encounter during the operation the macroscopic tendinous lesions that are sometimes described by some authors. The treatment should be conservative in all cases. This includes rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, muscular stretching, immobilisation in a cast, steroid infiltrations. One patient out of ten will have to be operated on. The operative techniques differ on some details, but they all include the desinsertion of the flexor muscles on the medial epicondyle. When there are clinical signs of irritation of the cubital nerve, it should be transposed anteriorly. The result of these operations is good in more than 90 per cent of the cases. However, a come back to professional sport can take as long as 8 months.