[Radiotherapy of epicondylopathy of the humerus].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of radiotherapy in alleviating pain at rest and on exercise in tennis elbow (humeral epicondylitis).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

45 elbow joints in 41 patients were radiated with a telecobalt unit in six sessions at a dose of 1.0 Gy each spread over 3 weeks. Indication for this treatment was pain in the elbow joint at rest, on pressure and on exercise. The patients were re-assessed after a mean follow-up period of 7.5 weeks. They were graded into one of five groups on the basis of their own assessment. Pain on exercise was determined by the Thompson hand-grip, chair test, forced extension and middle-finger stretch test.

RESULTS

Satisfactory analgesia was achieved in 31 of 45 elbow joints (68.9%). About 50% of patients still had objectifiable pain on exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiotherapy is a highly efficacious means of pain alleviation in tennis elbow, but the results are better for pain at rest than on exercise. The Thompson hand-grip and chair test, positive in more than 90% of patients, proved to be reliable criteria to assess the indications for radiotherapy and its results.