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Comparison of two methods for the evaluation of treatment in medial epicondylitis: pain estimation vs grip strength measurements

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Abstract

Introduction

Determination of a precise and reproducible diagnostic tool for the evaluation of patients with medial epicondylitis (ME) is important for an effective follow-up. The commonly suggested use of grip strength measurements with a hand dynamometer is not always easily available and may be affected by the patient’s compliance. We propose that pain estimation based on the visual analog scale can be considered for this purpose as well because it addresses the painful degenerative lesion in the common flexor origin, which is the basic pathological process in ME.

Materials and methods

We analyzed and compared 237 different sets of measurements of grip strengths and pain evaluation, according to the visual analog scale, in 79 patients with ME. For the purpose of this comparison, we developed a qualitative grading system based on the statistical data of the grip strength values in the normal population.

Results

High dependency between the graded pain evaluation and measured grip strength was found.

Conclusion

We suggest that evaluation of patients with ME according to the proposed grading method of pain evaluation is as accurate as grip strength measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedics A Department, Rambam Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, PO Box 9602, 31096, Haifa, Israel

    Nahum Rosenberg & Michael Soudry

  2. Hand Surgery Unit, Rambam Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Shalom Stahl

Authors
  1. Nahum Rosenberg
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  2. Michael Soudry
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  3. Shalom Stahl
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Correspondence to Nahum Rosenberg.

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Rosenberg, N., Soudry, M. & Stahl, S. Comparison of two methods for the evaluation of treatment in medial epicondylitis: pain estimation vs grip strength measurements. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 124, 363–365 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-004-0658-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-004-0658-5

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