Painful neuroma of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the forearm after surgery for lateral humeral epicondylitis.

PURPOSE: To describe a neuroma of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the forearm that can be the source of pain after surgery for lateral humeral epicondylitis.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of 9 patients having pain after surgery for lateral humeral epicondylitis was conducted to evaluate their history of pain, surgical findings during exploration of their painful lateral elbow scar, and outcome of their surgical treatment.

RESULTS

In each of the 9 patients a neuroma of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the forearm was found to be within the scar of the original lateral epicondylitis surgery. For each of these patients the surgical treatment included resection of the neuroma and implantation of the proximal end of the nerve into the brachioradialis muscle proximal to the elbow joint. With this approach 8 of the patients had excellent pain relief and 1 had good pain relief at a mean follow-up time of 1.4 years (range, 1.0-2.6 years).

CONCLUSIONS

Pain in the region of the scar after surgery to treat lateral humeral epicondylitis can be caused by a neuroma of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the forearm and this painful neuroma can be treated successfully by neuroma resection and implantation of the nerve proximally into the brachioradialis muscle.