Epicondyle Health Dictionary

The bone of the upper arm. It has a rounded head, which helps to form the shoulder-joint, and at its lower end presents a wide pulley-like surface for union with the radius and ulna. Its epicondyles form the prominences at the sides of the elbow.... humerus

A painful condition caused by inflammation of the epicondyle (bony prominence) on the inner elbow, at the site of attachment of some forearm muscles. Golfer’s elbow is caused by overuse of these muscles, which bend the wrist and fingers. Activities such as using a screwdriver or playing golf with a faulty grip can cause the condition. Treatment consists of resting the elbow, applying ice-packs, and taking analgesic drugs to relieve pain. If the pain is severe or persistent, injection of a corticosteroid drug into the area may help.... golfer’s elbow

A rounded prominence at the end of a bone: for example, the prominences at the outer and inner sides of the knee on the thigh-bone (or FEMUR). The projecting part of a condyle is sometimes known as an epicondyle, as in the case of the condyle at the lower end of the HUMERUS where the epicondyles form the prominences on the outer and inner side of the elbow.... condyle

The ?eld of medicine concerned with physical ?tness and the diagnosis and treatment of both acute and chronic sports injuries sustained during training and competition. Acute injuries are extremely common in contact sports, and their initial treatment is similar to that of those sustained in other ways, such as falls and road traf?c incidents. Tears of the muscles (see MUSCLES, DISORDERS OF), CONNECTIVE TISSUE and LIGAMENTS which are partial (sprains) are initially treated with rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) of the affected part. Complete tears (rupture) of ligaments (see diagrams) or muscles, or fractures (see BONE, DISORDERS OF – Bone fractures) require more prolonged immobilisation, often in plaster, or surgical intervention may be considered. The rehabilitation of injured athletes requires special expertise

– an early graded return to activity gives the best long-term results, but doing too much too soon runs the risk of exacerbating the original injury.

Chronic (overuse) injuries affecting the bones (see BONE), tendons (see TENDON) or BURSAE of the JOINTS are common in many sports. Examples include chronic INFLAMMATION of the common extensor tendon where it

attaches to the later EPICONDYLE of the humerus – common in throwers and racquet sportspeople – and stress fractures of the TIBIA or METATARSAL BONES of the foot in runners. After an initial period of rest, management often involves coaching that enables the athlete to perform the repetitive movement in a less injury-susceptible manner.

Exercise physiology is the science of measuring athletic performance and physical ?tness for exercise. This knowledge is applied to devising and supervising training regimens based on scienti?c principles. Physical ?tness depends upon the rate at which the body can deliver oxygen to the muscles, known as the VO2max, which is technically di?cult to measure. The PULSE rate during and after a bout of exercise serves as a good proxy of this measurement.

Regulation of sport Sports medicine’s role is to minimise hazards for participants by, for example, framing rule-changes which forbid collapsing the scrum, which has reduced the risk of neck injury in rugby; and in the detection of the use of drugs taken to enhance athletic performance. Such attempts to gain an edge in competition undermine the sporting ideal and are banned by leading sports regulatory bodies. The Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code lists prohibited substances and methods that could be used to enhance performance. These include some prohibited in certain circumstances as well as those completely banned. The latter include:

stimulants such as AMPHETAMINES, bromantan, ca?eine, carphedon, COCAINE, EPHEDRINE and certain beta-2 agonists.

NARCOTICS such as DIAMORPHINE (heroin), MORPHINE, METHADONE HYDROCHLORIDE and PETHIDINE HYDROCHLORIDE.

ANABOLIC STEROIDS such as methandione, NANDROLONE, stanazol, TESTOSTERONE, clenbuterol, androstenedone and certain beta-2 agonists.

peptide HORMONES, mimetics and analogues such as GROWTH HORMONE, CORTICOTROPHIN, CHORIONIC GONADOTROPHIC HORMONE, pituitary and synthetic GONADOTROPHINS, ERYTHROPOIETIN and INSULIN. (The list produced above is not comprehen

sive: full details are available from the governing bodies of relevant sports.) Among banned methods are blood doping (pre-competition administration of an athlete’s own previously provided and stored blood), administration of arti?cial oxygen carriers or plasma expanders. Also forbidden is any pharmacological, chemical or physical manipulation to affect the results of authorised testing.

Drug use can be detected by analysis of the URINE, but testing only at the time of competition is unlikely to detect drug use designed to enhance early-season training; hence random testing of competitive athletes is also used.

The increasing professionalism and competitiveness (among amateurs and juveniles as well as professionals) in sports sometimes results in pressures on participants to get ?t quickly after injury or illness. This can lead to

players returning to their activity before they are properly ?t – sometimes by using physical or pharmaceutical aids. This practice can adversely affect their long-term physical capabilities and perhaps their general health.... sports medicine

A major NERVE in the arm, it runs from the brachial plexus to the hand. The nerve controls the muscles that move the ?ngers and thumb and conveys sensation from the ?fth and part of the fourth and from the adjacent palm. Muscle weakness and numbness in the areas supplied by the nerve is usually caused by pressure from an abnormal outgrowth from the epicondyle at the bottom of the humerus (upper-arm bone).... ulnar nerve

Painful inflammation of an epicondyle, specifically one of the bony prominences of the elbow at the lower end of the humerus. It is due to overuse of forearm muscles, which causes repeated tugging on the tendons attaching to the bone. Epicondylitis affecting the prominence on the outer elbow is called tennis elbow. When the prominence on the inner elbow is affected it is called golfer’s elbow.... epicondylitis

a painful condition causing degeneration of the origin of the common extensor tendon on the lateral epicondyle of the *humerus, due to overuse of the forearm muscles. Treatment is by rest, massage, and local corticosteroid injection. If the symptoms do not settle, surgery may be required. See also tendinitis. Compare golfer’s elbow.... tennis elbow