How Useful Is Two-Point Discrimination As A Diagnostic Tool For Epicondylopathia Humeri Radialis? A Case-Control Study

The diagnostic value of two-point discrimination (2PD) as an indicator of chronic disease processes (e. g. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Chronic Low Back Pain) has been the subject of several studies and is considered proven. The aim of the present paper was to study the value of 2PD as a diagnostic tool in the elbow region.Using an esthesiometer (caliper), 2PD in the lateral elbow region was examined in a group of patients diagnosed with epicondylitis humeri radialis (n = 21) and a healthy control group (n = 40) with the following primary research question: Can 2PD in the elbow region distinguish healthy subjects from subjects with epicondylitis humeri radialis? As a basis, 2PD standard values at the lateral elbow were established using the control group. In-depth data analysis of the patient population compared data from patients with an acute (n = 13) and chronic (n = 8) condition.In conclusion, 2PD does not seem to be a suitable diagnostic tool to differentiate the case group from the control group and acute from chronic conditions in the lateral elbow region.