Elbow Pain Differential Diagnoses

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Differential Diagnoses

Lateral Elbow Pain

Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy
Referred pain (Cervical spine, Upper thoracic spine, Myofascial)
Synovitis of the radiohumeral joint
Radiohumeral bursitis
Radial Head Fractures
Radial Head Dislocation
Capitellar Osteochondritis Dissecans (Capitellum, Radius in adolescents)
Capitellar Osteochondrosis
Lateral Condyle Fracture
Capitellum Fracture
Lateral Collateral Ligament Complex Injury
Radial Head Subluxation (Nursemaid Elbow)
Radiocapitellar Osteoarthrosis
Bone Neoplasm
Soft Tissue Neoplasm
Posterolateral Rotary Instability
Posterior Interosseous Nerve Entrapment or Radial Neuropathy at the Spiral Groove
Posterolateral Plica Syndrome

Medial Elbow Pain

Medial Elbow Tendinopathy
Medial collateral ligament injury (acute and chronic)
Ulnar neuritis
Avulsion fracture of the medial epicondyle (children and adolescents)
Apophysitis (children and adolescents)
Referred pain (Cervical Radicular Pain, somatic referred myofascial pain)
Myofascial pain
Ulnar Neuropathy
Little Leaguer's Elbow
Triceps Tendinopathy and rupture
Fractures (Olecranon Fracture, Pediatric Medial Epicondyle Avulsion, Coronoid Process Fracture, Medial Condyle Fracture)
Medial epitrochlear lymphadenopathy (e.g. from cat-scratch disease)
Anconeus Epitrochlearis
Cyst, Mass, Foreign Body

Posterior Elbow Pain

Olecranon bursitis
Triceps Tendinopathy
Posterior impingement
Gout

Anterior Elbow Pain

Biceps tendinopathy or rupture

Generalised

Osteoarthritis
If locking consider chondromalacia, osteochondritis, loose bodies

Differentiating Factors

Coombes et al summarised the important differentiating features of lateral elbow tendinopathy, shown below ^[1]

References

Axial Skeleton	Neck Pain Thoracic Pain Low Back Pain Sacroiliac Pain Coccydynia
Upper Limbs	Sternoclavicular Joint Pain Shoulder Pain and Instability Elbow Pain Wrist Pain and Instability Neuropathic Arm Pain
Lower Limbs	Hip Pain Lateral Hip Pain Groin Pain Posterior Thigh Pain Buttock Pain Anterior Thigh Pain Knee Pain Calf Pain Ankle Pain Foot Pain Neuropathic Leg Pain
Other	Abdominal Wall Pain Chest Wall Pain Joint Hypermobility Vertigo Widespread Pain Anterior Throat Pain Arthritis Rheumatology Symptoms

↑ Coombes et al.. Management of Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: One Size Does Not Fit All. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy 2015. 45:938-49. PMID: 26381484. DOI.

[Coombes-1] Coombes et al.. Management of Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: One Size Does Not Fit All. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy 2015. 45:938-49. PMID: 26381484. DOI.

[1]