ABSTRACT
Tennis is played today by millions of people around the world. Towards the end of the 70's, more than 40 million Americans played tennis (U.S. News and World Report, 1979). Top-level tennis is played in more countries around the world than almost any other sport. Tennis is played by all age groups, as it is a sport which in general does not produce severe medical problems. Some of the major problems in tennis occur, however, in the elbow region exemplified by the so-called tennis elbow. Pain near the lateral epicondyle of the humerus was described by Runge (1873), and was called “writer's cramp.” Later it was called “washer women's elbow.” As it also occurred in tennis, it soon was called “tennis elbow” (Morris, 1883). It should, however, be remembered that only five percent of people suffering from tennis elbow relates the injury to tennis. This injury is more common in industry and activities of daily living and occur in other racket sports. There are, however, many other injuries that may occur in the elbow region related to tennis. The different injuries causing elbow pain and their diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation will be discussed below.
