Effectiveness of a Custom-Made below Elbow Lateral Counterforce Splint in the Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of a custom-made below elbow lateral counterforce splint along with standard physiotherapy compared with physiotherapy alone, for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. It was hypothesized that the recovery from lateral epicondylitis is greater following four weeks of standard physiotherapy and the use of the splint, than following four weeks of standard physiotherapy alone. The experimental group (with the splint and physiotherapy) demonstrated a significant improvement in pain (p = 0.05) and maximum grip strength (p = 0.025) of the affected arm compared to the control group. The experimental group showed a greater improvement in function approaching but not reaching significance. The results indicate that this custom-made splint is of value in facilitating the recovery from lateral epicondylitis.