THE MOST COMMON SPORTS INJURIES IN TENNIS – AN OVERVIEW

Tennis elbow is the most common type of injury in tennis. It is an inflammation-like injury to the tendon insertions caused by overloading. The centre of inflammation is usually on the outside of the elbow. If diagnosed at an early stage, it can be treated with rest in combination with physiotherapy, exercises, taping or infiltration with the body’s own stem cells, among other things. In “valgus stress overload syndrome”, the medial collateral ligament is lengthened and the elbow can become unstable. If this is the case, conservative or surgical measures may be necessary. In “ulnar nerve compression syndrome”, the recurring stretching of the ulnar nerve leads to radiating pain in the hand. With this syndrome, the sports orthopaedic specialist must check whether the nerve needs to be exposed or relocated in order to relieve it.

Der Tennisarm ist die häufigste Verletzungsart beim Tennis. Es handelt sich hierbei um eine entzündungsähnliche Verletzung an den Sehnenansätzen, die durch Überbelastung entsteht. Der Entzündungsherd liegt meist an der Außenseite des Ellenbogens.
Bei frühzeitiger Diagnose kann durch Schonung in Kombination mit Physiotherapie, Eigenübungen, Taping oder Infiltrationen u.a. mit körpereigenen Stammzellen therapiert werden. Beim „Valgusstress-Überbelastungssyndrom“ wird das Innenband verlängert, der Ellenbogen kann instabil werden. Ist dies der Fall, können konservative oder operative Maßnahmen erforderlich sein. Beim „Ulnaris-Kompressionssyndrom“ kommt es durch die wiederkehrende Dehnung des Ellennervs zu ausstrahlende Schmerzen in die Hand. Bei diesem Syndrom muss der Facharzt für Sportorthopädie prüfen, ob der Nerv freigelegt oder verlagert werden muss, um ihn zu entlasten.

Injuries to the hand or wrist in tennis are favoured by incorrect backhand or forehand technique. This can lead to permanent injuries to the tendons. These trigger tendonitis. Tennis players should optimise their grip, stringing and stroke technique as a preventative measure to avoid such injuries. If inflammation has already occurred, conservative methods can lead to very good results. If resting the hand is not enough or if there is a bottleneck syndrome, this tennis injury is a case for hand surgery.

Your torso is working at maximum capacity when you play tennis. The strong movements and their extent can lead to muscular injuries. These cause back pain when playing tennis. If the acute pain cannot be alleviated by physiotherapy or medication, a change in the spine must be ruled out. These can be degenerative changes to the intervertebral discs or small vertebral joints. If this is the case, spinal surgery is recommended.

are rare, muscle fibre tears, strains and bruises are common. These are usually to be found on the back of the thigh or the calf muscles and the knee. If there is no serious damage to bones, cartilage, tendons or ligaments, conservative treatment methods promise the best results. A wide range of methods can be used, from rest to stabilisation, bracing or physiotherapy and medication.