Persistence of the olecranon physis: a cause of "little league elbow".

The elbow is one of the most common sites of overuse injuries in adolescent baseball players. The term "little league elbow" has been used to describe a number of entities. This article reports three cases of painful persistence of the olecranon epiphyseal plate in adolescent pitchers. Symptoms associated with this entity may improve with rest and avoidance of the aggravating activity. However, if symptoms persist and the contralateral growth plate has closed, internal fixation may be necessary and is effective in relieving the symptoms.