Sports-Related Elbow Problems
摘要
The elbow is a complex joint in which a delicate balance between primary and secondary static and dynamic stabilizers coexists. The elbow joint is involved in several sport activities, as javelin and discus throw, baseball, volleyball, and tennis, characterized by repeated movements, as throwing, pushing, opposing, and gripping, which are able to lead to significant elbow stress. Acute traumas or repeated microtraumas can affect the joint surfaces, the capsular structures, ligaments, and muscles, damaging the elbow anatomy and affecting its function. The main sport elbow injuries consist of medial and lateral compartment painful syndromes related to throwing athletes. Focusing these still controversial aspects, other pathologies, such as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), are covered in a different chapter.