Abstract
Although the elbow is not a weight bearing joint, it is subjected to significant loads which can lead to instability, especially in overhead and throwing athletes.
Instability can occur around the frontal axis (valgus–varus) and around the longitudinal axis (posterolateral–posteromedial) of the elbow, or both.
Medial instability is more common in sportsmen, especially in the throwing athletes. Lateral instability is uncommon in the throwing athlete, but other sportsmen may present with chronic elbow instability after a traumatic elbow dislocation.
A methodical physical examination of the elbow allows for clinical diagnosis to be made in most cases of athletes with elbow instability.
This chapter will describe all the tests useful in detecting both medial, lateral and also micro-instability of the elbow. A description of their sensitivity and specificity according to literature will also be presented.
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Filippo, C.A., Celli, A., Pederzini, L.A. (2023). Evaluation of Sports-Related Elbow Instability. In: Lane, J.G., Gobbi, A., Espregueira-Mendes, J., Kaleka, C.C., Adachi, N. (eds) The Art of the Musculoskeletal Physical Exam. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24404-9_20
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