Epicondylitis in the athlete.

Since the first description of epicondylitis of the elbow in 1882, there have been volumes of descriptive, diagnostic, and therapeutic reports detailing every aspect of this entity. It is now known that epicondylitis can be caused both by occupational and sports-related activities, that its diagnosis may be confused with a variety of other pathologic entities affecting the elbow, that the majority of patients will respond favorably to well-guided nonsurgical treatment, and that in those patients whose rersistent symptoms make them unable to return to their activities, surgical treatment results in reliable pain relief and return to preinjury level of activity.