Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (718 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A condition characterized by pain in or near the lateral humeral epicondyle or in the forearm extensor muscle mass as a result of unusual strain. It occurs due repetitive stresses on the elbow from activities such as tennis playing.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Elbow, Tennis; Tennis Elbows; Lateral Epicondylitis; Epicondylitides, Lateral; Epicondylitis, Lateral; Lateral Epicondylitides; Epicondylitis, Lateral Humeral; Epicondylitides, Lateral Humeral.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Elbow Tendinopathy; Elbow Injuries
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 2,112 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Tennis Elbow” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 445 of them (21.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 644 records.
Reviews account for 440 records (20.8%) and meta-analyses for 99. Randomized controlled trials number 333 (15.8%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 509 |
| 2000-2009 | 514 |
| 2010-2019 | 644 |
| 2020 onward | 445 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 440 | 20.8% |
| Meta-analyses | 99 | 4.7% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 333 | 15.8% |
Method: PubMed query "Tennis Elbow"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in bones, joints, muscles and skin
Joint, bone, muscle and skin conditions are often judged by pain scores, function questionnaires, imaging or photographs, and symptoms can fluctuate, so placebo response and natural improvement matter. Imaging changes are common in people without symptoms. Nothing on this page is advice about treatment. Check how outcomes were measured, whether the comparison group received a placebo or usual care, and how long the benefit lasted.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Narrative Literature Review | 2020 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 60 | cc by PMID 32454922 · DOI · PMC7222600 |
| Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Lateral Epicondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | 2020 | Meta-analysis Design not recorded in structured metadata | 47 | cc by PMID 32309425 · DOI · PMC7106907 |
| Platelet-rich plasma vs corticosteroids for elbow epicondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis | 2019 | Meta-analysis Design not recorded in structured metadata | 44 | cc by PMID 31860992 · DOI · PMC6940118 |
| Predicting refractoriness in lateral epicondylitis using initial grip strength and quickdash: a retrospective cohort study | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 40616019 · DOI · PMC12228226 |
Management of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Narrative Literature Review [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Lateral epicondylitis, also termed as "tennis elbow," is the most common cause of elbow pain and dysfunction, mainly resulting from repetitive gripping or wrist extension during various activities.
- Closing excerpt
- This article presents a landscape of emerging evidence on lateral epicondylitis and focuses on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management, shedding light on the understandings and treatment for healthcare professionals.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (107 words)
Lateral epicondylitis, also termed as "tennis elbow," is the most common cause of elbow pain and dysfunction, mainly resulting from repetitive gripping or wrist extension during various activities. The exact pathogenesis remains largely elusive with putative tendinosis, a symptomatic degenerative process of the local tendon. It is usually diagnosed by clinical examinations. Sometimes, additional imaging is required for a specific differential diagnosis. Although most cases can be self-healing, the optimal treatment strategy for chronic lateral epicondylitis remains controversial. This article presents a landscape of emerging evidence on lateral epicondylitis and focuses on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management, shedding light on the understandings and treatment for healthcare professionals.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32454922 · DOI · PMC7222600
Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Lateral Epicondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundLateral epicondylitis (LE) is a common elbow problem.
- Closing excerpt
- However, owing to the limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high-quality RCTs are needed to support the trend towards better functional outcomes with ESWT.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (218 words)
BackgroundLateral epicondylitis (LE) is a common elbow problem. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) was widely used in the treatment of LE and has been shown to relieve the pain and functional impairment (loss of grip strength) caused by tennis elbow. However, the evidence with regard to whether ESWT has better clinical efficacy over other method is not clear. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of ESWT with other techniques in the treatment of LE.MethodsLiterature searches of PubMed, OVID, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched up to 30th June, 2019. Only RCTs comparing ESWT with other methods for LE were included. Data collection and extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were performed according to the Cochrane standards.ResultsA total of 13 articles with 1035 patients were included. Of which, 501 underwent ESWT and 534 underwent other methods. The result of meta-analysis showed that pooled VAS (P = 0.0004) and grip strength (P ConclusionBased on the existing clinical evidence, extracorporeal shock wave therapy can effectively relieve the pain and functional impairment (loss of grip strength) caused by tennis elbow, with better overall safety than several other methods. However, owing to the limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high-quality RCTs are needed to support the trend towards better functional outcomes with ESWT.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32309425 · DOI · PMC7106907
Platelet-rich plasma vs corticosteroids for elbow epicondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectiveThe aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) vs corticosteroids for treatment of patients with lateral elbow epicondylitis.
- Closing excerpt
- Otherwise, at the long-term follow-up (24 weeks post-treatment), PRP injections had improved pain and function more effectively than corticosteroid injections.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (204 words)
ObjectiveThe aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) vs corticosteroids for treatment of patients with lateral elbow epicondylitis.MethodsA literature search was performed in EMBASE, Medline, the Cochrane Library and PubMed. Randomized controlled studies comparing PRP with corticosteroids for the treatment of epicondylitis were included. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included trials. The Cochrane Collaboration's Review Manager software was used to perform the meta-analyses. The overall effect size of each anesthetic was calculated as the weighted average of the inverse variance of the study-specific estimates.ResultsSeven randomized controlled trials were included in this review. The data from 2 studies were unavailable for meta-analysis, and the systematic review criteria were just achieved. Local corticosteroid injection yielded a significantly superior Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score at 4 weeks (WMD, 11.90; 95% CI: 7.72 to 16.08; P ConclusionsLocal corticosteroid injections demonstrated favorable outcomes compared with those of local PRP treatments for lateral elbow epicondylitis during the short-term follow-up period (4 weeks and 8 weeks post-treatment). Otherwise, at the long-term follow-up (24 weeks post-treatment), PRP injections had improved pain and function more effectively than corticosteroid injections.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31860992 · DOI · PMC6940118
Predicting refractoriness in lateral epicondylitis using initial grip strength and quickdash: a retrospective cohort study [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundLateral epicondylitis is a self-limited disease and refractory condition; thus providing optimal treatment is challenging.
- Closing excerpt
- 5 on the affected side or a QuickDASH score ≥ 30 at initial consultation continued having symptoms 6 months after conservative treatment.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (189 words)
BackgroundLateral epicondylitis is a self-limited disease and refractory condition; thus providing optimal treatment is challenging. This study investigated a method for predicting cases that would not improve sufficiently under a wait-and-see policy using clinical indicators obtained during the initial consultation.MethodsTwenty-two patients with lateral epicondylitis prescribed a resting orthosis and followed up for 6 months were included. Grip strength ratios for affected/unaffected side; quick disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (QuickDASH) scores were measured at 6-week intervals. Receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting refractory cases were created from the initial measurement items to determine the cut-off values and prediction accuracy.ResultsThe 6-month post-treatment QuickDASH scores for the 14 improved patients and 8 refractory patients were 2.3 ± 4.7 and 25.9 ± 15.4, respectively. Grip strength ratios significantly predicted refractoriness risk with a 0.54 cut-off value. The QuickDASH scores significantly predicted refractoriness risk with a 30-point cut-off value. Meeting either of these cutoff values achieved a sensitivity of 1.0 for predicting refractoriness.ConclusionsThe patients with a grip strength ratio ≤ 0.5 on the affected side or a QuickDASH score ≥ 30 at initial consultation continued having symptoms 6 months after conservative treatment.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40616019 · DOI · PMC12228226
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Elbow tendinosis/tennis elbow [5]
- Research article A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on physical interventions for lateral epicondylalgia [6]
- Research article Tendinosis of the elbow (tennis elbow). Clinical features and findings of histological, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopy studies [7]
- Research article Lateral epicondylitis: a review of pathology and management [8]
- Research article Elbow tendinopathy: tennis elbow [9]
- Research article Lack of scientific evidence for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis of the elbow. An attempted meta-analysis [10]
References
- Ma KL, Wang HQ. Management of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Narrative Literature Review. . 2020. PMID 32454922 · DOI · PMC7222600
- Yao G, Chen J, Duan Y, Chen X. Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Lateral Epicondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. . 2020. PMID 32309425 · DOI · PMC7106907
- Li A, Wang H, Yu Z, Zhang G, Feng S, Liu L, et al.. Platelet-rich plasma vs corticosteroids for elbow epicondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. . 2019. PMID 31860992 · DOI · PMC6940118
- Ikeda K, Ikumi A, Onishi S, Ogawa T, Kohyama S, Yoshii Y. Predicting refractoriness in lateral epicondylitis using initial grip strength and quickdash: a retrospective cohort study. . 2025. PMID 40616019 · DOI · PMC12228226
- Nirschl RP. Elbow tendinosis/tennis elbow. Clin Sports Med. 1992. PMID 1423702 · DOI
- Bisset L, Paungmali A, Vicenzino B, Beller E. A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on physical interventions for lateral epicondylalgia. Br J Sports Med. 2005. PMID 15976161 · DOI · PMC1725258
- Kraushaar BS, Nirschl RP. Tendinosis of the elbow (tennis elbow). Clinical features and findings of histological, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopy studies. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1999. PMID 10073590 · DOI
- Ahmad Z, Siddiqui N, Malik SS, Abdus-Samee M, Tytherleigh-Strong G, Rushton N. Lateral epicondylitis: a review of pathology and management. Bone Joint J. 2013. PMID 23997125 · DOI
- Nirschl RP, Ashman ES. Elbow tendinopathy: tennis elbow. Clin Sports Med. 2003. PMID 14560549 · DOI
- Labelle H, Guibert R, Joncas J, Newman N, Fallaha M, Rivard CH. Lack of scientific evidence for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis of the elbow. An attempted meta-analysis. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1992. PMID 1388172 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.