Conditions and Injuries Affecting the Nerves Around the Elbow

Sports-related peripheral neuropathies account for 6% of all peripheral neuropathies and most commonly involve the upper extremity. The routes of the median, radial, and ulnar nerves are positioned in arrangements of pulleys and sheaths to glide smoothly around the elbow. However, this anatomic relationship exposes each nerve to risk of compression. The underlying mechanisms of the athletic nerve injury are compression, ischemia, traction, and friction. Chronic athletic nerve compression may cause damage with moderate or low pressure for long or intermittent periods of time.