[Tennis elbow: surgical findings in 17 cases and etiopathogenetic hypothesis]

Lateral epicondylitis is the most common source of elbow pain. Surgical treatment is easy but precise etiology remains uncertain. We reviewed 17 medical files of surgically treated lateral epicondylitis. Chondral lesions of the radial head were systematically looked for. Out of those 17 elbows, 11 showed extension limitation before surgical treatment. From this sub-group, 9 presented chondral lesions. None of the 6 elbows without extension limitation showed chondral lesions. Increased tension of the extensor carpi radialis brevis associated with the eccentric movement of the radial head, seems to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of those lesions. We believe that chondropathy of the radial head is a consequence of lateral epicondylitis.