Article
Bilaterally decreased motor performance of arms in patients with chronic tennis elbow☆

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-9993(97)90133-7Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective: To measure the motor performance of arms in patients with chronic unilateral tennis elbow.

Design: Cross-sectional case-control study.

Setting: University hospital clinic admitting chronic hand patients.

Subjects: Thirty-two patients with chronic unilateral tennis elbow syndrome and 32 age- and gender-matched controls.

Main Outcome Measures: The motor performance of arms was measured with the Human Performance Measurement/Basic Elements of Performance system using the module for hands and the protocol of the device. Reaction times, speed of movement, and coordination as a combination of speed of movement and accuracy (number of correct hits) were measured. The results were compared between patients and controls.

Results: Simple one-choice and two-choice reaction times were 19% to 36% slower in the patients than in the controls, and speed of movement was 31% to 32% slower in the patients than in the controls. The differences were statistically significant. The coordination results were 9.6bits/sec in the patients and 9.7bits/sec in the controls. The difference was not statistically significant. The reaction times and speed of movement did not differ significantly between the patients' involved and healthy arms. The patients' healthy arms showed significantly slower reaction times and speed of movement than the corresponding arms of the controls.

Conclusions: Unilateral chronic tennis elbow patients have bilaterally decreased reaction times and speed of movement of arms compared with age- and gender-matched controls. The cause for this phenomenon is unclear; the decreased motor performance may be primary and show an increased susceptibility to develop the tennis elbow syndrome or it may be a result of chronicity.

References (19)

  • GA Yaxley et al.

    Adverse tension in the neural system

  • J Machetanz et al.

    PC-based system for an objective quantification of manual movement disability for clinical and scientific purposes

    J Biomed Eng

    (1993)
  • I Goldie

    Epicondylitis lateralis humeri (epicondylalgia or tennis elbow)

  • AM Bernhang

    The many causes of tennis elbow

    N Y State J Med

    (1979)
  • AK Burton

    Grip strength as an objective clinical assessment in tennis elbow

    Br Osteopath J

    (1984)
  • PW Stratford et al.

    Generalizability of grip strength measurement in patients with tennis elbow

    Phys Ther

    (1989)
  • OA Thurtle et al.

    Grip strength as a measure of response to treatment for lateral epicondylitis

    Br J Rheumatol

    (1984)
  • SS Smith et al.

    Computerized system for quantitative measurement of sensorimotor aspects of human performance

    Phys Ther

    (1987)
  • P Baumann et al.

    Myotonia congenita: quantification of different aspects of motor performance

    Eur Neurol

    (1995)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

☆

No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.

View full text
Copyright © 1997 Published by Elsevier Inc.