Epicondylitis in the athlete.

Epicondylitis plagues a significant proportion of athletes and can result in prolonged symptoms and suboptimal athletic performance. The diagnosis can be confused with many other pathologic entities affecting the elbow, some of which can occur concurrently. Most patients will respond favorably to a well-guided nonsurgical treatment protocol. A minority of patients will have persistent problems and will require surgical intervention that can relieve pain effectively and return patients to their preinjury level of activity.