Pathology: Tennis Elbow

Etiology:
Etiology of the tennis elbow includes the age of the client as people over the age of 30 years of age are more prone to incurring tennis elbow. Other causes of the diseases is repetitive action of the muscles involved in tennis elbow, for example playing tennis for a number of years, using the same muscles, tendons and ligaments day after day will eventually cause tennis elbow. Other causes are; tightness of grip, unskilled tennis players, force and flexibility of the forearm extensors. Also tennis elbow can be caused by a direct hit or a fall onto the elbow (Brad Walker 1999).

Pathogenesis:
Pathogenesis which is the affects after the disease or in this case the tennis elbow, is that with tennis elbow, small micro tears form in the tendons and muscles that are the control for such movements as swinging a tennis racket. From these tears they restrict movement and inflict pain, they also lead to the formation of scar tissue and calcium deposits therefore putting a lot of pressure on the muscles and nerves that can cut off blood flow to those areas (Brad Walker 1999).

Morphological:
Morphological is the anatomical changes that occur from the tennis elbow. Therefore the changes within the tennis elbow disease are the micro tears of the tendons and muscles used that was mentioned in the pathogenesis.

Histological:
Histological is the cellular and extra-cellular matrix changes when tennis elbow is present in the elbow. When tennis elbow is present, as said above, there are going to be micro tears in the tissues therefore as when there is an injury of the tissue there is usually bleeding at the site as the tear very likely would damage small blood vessels. This fluid includes blood and also chemicals that are released into the extracellular fluid (Marieb, E,. Hoehn, K, 2007), that accumulates at the damaged site which contains protein that turns into scar tissue. When there is an overload of scar tissue it will result in restriction of movement and also preventing the structure to return to its normal state, also increasing the risk of re-injury.

Epidemiology:
Incidence:
- Approximately 1% - 3% are diagnosed with “tennis elbow” each year (Joshi, D, 2008)

Prevalence:
- Estimated that 40% to 50% of all tennis players will incur tennis elbow at one point in their carrier (Marc. C, Levesque, MD, PhD, MD, 2007).
- “Between January 2004 and June, 2007, the number of Patients receiving a “tennis elbow” diagnosis has risen by 25% (Joshi, D, 2008).”



Reference:

Joshi, D,. (2008). Arthroscopic Treatment for Tennis Elbow: Report Shows Excellent Outcomes. Retrieved 26th of March 2009 from
www.pearldiverinc.com/pdp/index.php/eng/Market-and-Company-Data/Extremity-Reconstruction/Arthroscopic-Treatment-for-Tennis-Elbow-Report-Shows-Excellent-Outcomes

Marc. C, Levesque, MD, PhD, MD,. (2007). Arthritis and Tennis Elbow. Retrieved 24th of March 2009 from www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/tennis-elbow?

Marieb, E, N,. Hoehn, K,. (2007). Human Anatomy and Physiology. 7th edition.

Research – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2009). Retrieved 24th of March 2009 from www.wikipedia.org/wiki/tennis_elbow

Vicenzino, B,. (2009). Lateral Epicondylalgia. Retrieved 24th of March 2009 from www.newmaster.it/spine2009/doc/report_vicenzino_20090206.pdf

Walker, B,. (1999). The Stretching Institute. Tennis Elbow: Guide to the treatment and prevention of tennis elbow. Retrieved 24th of March 2009 from www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/tennis-elbow.php