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Arthroscopic Lateral Epicondyle Fasciotomy
Lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, is a common cause of elbow pain. It occurs when there is injury to the attachment of tendons in the forearm to the outside of the elbow. This may occur over time, or suddenly, as a result of overuse. Often, a large amount of gripping, squeezing, or lifting precedes the injury. While most cases of tennis elbow or epicondylitis resolve with non-operative care, occasionally surgery is required.
Until recently, surgery was usually performed ‘open’, with an incision on the outside of the elbow. This required dissecting the injured tendon off of the elbow to get at its undersurface to repair it. Postoperatively, the elbow required a long period of rest and splinting to heal.
Recently, the arthroscope has been used to perform this procedure through two tiny quarter-inch incisions, without having to do a large open dissection. This arthroscopic lateral epicondyle fasciotomy also allows for a visual inspection of the entire inside of the elbow joint, so that other injuries can be identified and treated.
Another advantage of this new procedure is that no splinting is required, and early elbow range of motion is allowed, so that stiffness is reduced, and recovery is faster.
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