History and examination of the thrower's elbow

Overhead throwing motion imparts enormous forces on the elbow. Repetitive near-failure loads lead to chronic adaptive changes and occasionally acute injury to bone, ligaments, and the elbow's muscle-tendon complexes. Physicians treating the thrower must thoroughly understand the complex anatomy and function of the elbow joint and throwing biomechanics to diagnose and treat elbow pathology. Evaluation of elbow pain begins with a thorough, detailed throwing history, including symptom duration, location of pain, timing during phases of throwing motion, and associated symptoms. Physical examination should include inspection, range of motion, palpation, and specific tests to better define the pathology. A detailed history and physical examination often lead the astute clinician to the proper diagnosis and treatment without reliance on ancillary testing.