Abstract
1. Tennis elbow is largely an affliction of middle age, and it is believed that degenerative changes in the orbicular ligament may underlie its pathology.
2. It has been shown that most patients may be relieved by either extra-articular or intra-articular injection of hydrocortisone, and operative intervention is required only in a minority of cases.
3. Contraction of the extensor carpi radialis brevis is considered to be the principal pain-producing factor, and Z-lengthening of the tendon of this muscle has been found to relieve the symptoms when conservative measures have failed.
4. The late results in fifty patients have shown that this operation causes diminution neither of the power of wrist dorsiflexion nor in the efficiency of the grip. The operation may therefore be undertaken with every prospect of relieving the discomfort of tennis elbow without inviting alternative disability.
