When it works well, no one thinks much about the elbow. It bends and straightens. But a stiff elbow after injury or associated with arthritis or other condition can be a real detriment to function. And even though it seems like a simple joint with two major movements, it's really made up of three separate articulations (places where the bones join and move).

How do you know if that elbow stiffness, pain, and loss of motion you are having is arthritis? What causes elbow arthritis? What can be done about it? In this article, experts in the area of hand and upper extremity surgery review studies from the past five years and attempt to answer these questions.

Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. It's a form of low intensity light treatment that actually uses electromagnetic waves as a source of energy. The theory is that a narrow focused beam of light aimed at disrupted tissue such as occurs with tennis elbow can stimulate blood flow to the area and a healing response.

Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are similar but not exactly the same. Tennis elbow tends to affect the common extensor tendon along the outside of the elbow. The result is pain and tenderness in that same area along the lateral elbow.

Believe it or not, a wait-and-see approach is still the best way to treat lateral epicondylitis, more commonly known as tennis elbow. What? You say you've had acupuncture and it worked fine? Or maybe you saw a physical therapist and recovered nicely. Some people swear by steroid injections. Others have tried laser therapy.

Loss of forearm rotation into the palm up position called supination is common after repair of a distal bicep rupture. But it's not normal in the sense that you don't have full motion or strength when you need it.

You should check with your surgeon to find out what, if any, restrictions he or she would like you to follow. Sometimes the follow-up home or rehab program depends on the type of surgery, type of sutures used, placement of sutures, and so on.

The authors say this is the first clinical study of the results of surgery for repair of a biceps tendon rupture allowing early elbow motion. Why is that so important? Most rehab protocols require a week or more of immobilization before allowing a gradual increase in active motion. The thinking behind the conservative approach is that the body needs time to allow tendon ingrowth into the bone. Too much stress too soon could disrupt the surgical site.

Debate has been ongoing since as far back as 1756 about the role of the brachioradialis muscle in movement. Some say that it just flexes (bends) the elbow. Others insist it helps rotate the forearm to turn the hand palm up (supination) or palm down (pronation). The results of this study may put the arguments to rest.

OCD stands for osteochondritis dissecans. It is a lesion of the bone under the joint that also affects the joint surface. Forceful and repeated actions of the elbow in a young teenager can strain the immature surface of the outer part of the elbow joint.