• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.84-88
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• 2011

Purpose: We report here on two cases of calcific tendinitis at the origin of the common extensor tendons of the forearm. Materials and Methods: A 42 year-old female complained of left elbow pain and flexion contracture. After obtaining the simple radiographs and MRI, surgical excision of the calcific deposits was done under the diagnosis of calcific tendinitis. A 25 year-old female complained of right elbow pain and a limited range of motion. Simple radiographs showed a calcific deposit just distal to the lateral epicondyle, and then she was managed with extracorporeal shock wave therapy. Results: The pain disappeared completely and both patients regained a full range of motion after treatments. Conclusion: Calcific tendinitis at the origin of the common extensor tendons of the forearm should be included in the differential diagnosis of the lateral elbow diseases that cause pain and a limited range of motion.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.393-401
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• 1998

Based on clinical observations, it is suspected that the bone-tendon origin is the site where piratical failure, leading to pathophysiological changes in the humeral epicondyle after repetitive loading, is initiated Mechanical properties and failure patterns of the common extensor and flexor tendons of the humeral epicondyle under static and repetitive loading have not been well documented. Our goal was to determine mechanical properties of failure strength and strain changes, to correlate strain changes and the number of cyclic repetitions, and to identify the failure pattern of bone-tendon specimens of common extensor and flexor tendons of the humeral epicondyle. Mechnaical properties of human cadaver bone-tendon specimens of the common extensor and flexor tendons of the humeral epicondyle were tested under two different loading rates. No statistically significant difference in ultimate tensile strength was found between male and female specimens or between slow (10 mm/sec) and fast elongation (100 mm/sec) rates. However, a statistically significant difference in ultimate tensile strength between the common extensor (1190.0 N/$cm^2{\pm}$388.8) and flexor 1922.0 N/$cm^2{\pm}$764.4)tendons was found (p<0.05). When loads of 25%, 33%, and 41% of the ultimate tensile strength of their contralateral sides were applied, the number of cycles required to reach 24% strain change for the common extersor and flexor tendons were approximately 8,893, 1,907, and 410, respectively. The relationship between cycles and loads was correlated ($R^2$=0.46) Histological observation showed that complete or partial failure after tensile or cyclic loadings occurred at the transitional zone, which is the uncalcified fibrocartilage zone between tendon and bone of the humeral epicondyle. Sequential histological sections revealed that failure initiated at the upper, medial aspect of the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon origin. Biomechanical and hstological data obtained in this study indicated that the uncalcified fibrocartilage zone at the bone-tendon origin of the common extensor and flexor tendons is the weak anatomical structure of the humeral epicondyle.