Elbow Surgery

Many causes of elbow pain are treatable without surgery. Rest, icing the area, stretching, anti-inflammatories and steroid injections are treatment options used to successfully relieve pain. If non-surgical treatment doesn’t relieve your pain, surgery may be the best treatment option.

Our affiliated surgeons have the expertise and experience you want when it comes to making the choice for elbow surgery. Some conditions such tendon or muscle tears usually require surgery. Surgical options may include:

  • Arthroscopic tendon repair – a minimally invasive approach to repairing tendons in the elbow. This approach makes healing and recovery much easier.

  • Carpal Tunnel SyndromeCarpal tunnel syndrome occurs when a nerve to the hand is squeezed in the area of the wrist. It causes numbness, tingling, burning and pain in fingers. Without treatment, carpal tunnel usually gets worse. Wearing an over-the-counter brace is the first line of treatment. If non-surgical treatment doesn’t help, surgery can relieve pressure on the nerve.

  • Open tendon repair – repair the small tendon tears at the elbow in addition to removing diseased muscle and reattaching healthy muscle back to bone.

  • TendonitisConditions such as tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are caused by tendonitis, which results in inflamed tendons from overuse. If symptoms and pain from tennis or golfer’s elbow continue after 6-12 months of non-surgical treatment, surgery may be an option. Your surgeon will remove the inflamed tendons and reattach the healthy ones. The procedure can be open surgery or arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive approach that uses tiny incisions and instruments.

  • “Tommy John” surgery – reconstructs the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) using a donated tendon or one from somewhere else in your body.
  • Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) InjuriesThe UCL ligament, also known as the Tommy John ligament, is on the inside of the elbow. Repetitive movement from sports, especially pitching, can cause ligament stretching and tears. The surgery, known as Tommy John surgery, reconstructs the ligament using a donated tendon or one from somewhere else in your body.

  • Ulnar Nerve ImpingementThe “funny bone” is actually the ulnar nerve, which runs in a tunnel called the cubital tunnel on the inside of the elbow. If the nerve becomes trapped it can be painful and cause numbness. Cubital tunnel surgery releases or moves the nerve.

Woman in elbow pain.

Learn More

If surgery is necessary, our physicians can provide a referral to one of our affiliated orthopedic surgeons. For more information on surgical options, please contact us at askortho@stelizabeth.com.

Contact Us

Schedule an Appointment

Is your elbow pain bothering you? Schedule an appointment with our Sports Medicine physicians for a treatment plan tailored to you. Call (859) 212-5600 to make an appointment.

Surgical Options

If surgery is necessary, our physicians can provide a referral to one of our affiliated orthopaedic surgeons. For more information on surgical options, please contact us at askortho@stelizabeth.com.