Which special test is commonly used to diagnose lateral epicondylitis?

• A. Cozen Test
• B. Phalen Test
• C. Finkelstein Test
• D. Hawkins-Kennedy Test

Answer: (A)

Pain reproduced by loading the common extensor tendon at the lateral epicondyle is the hallmark finding in lateral epicondylitis. This condition is a tendinopathy of the origin of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (and nearby extensors) at the lateral epicondyle. The Cozen test achieves this provocation by having the patient extend the wrist against resistance with the forearm pronated and the elbow extended, stressing the common extensor tendon at its origin. Reproduction of lateral elbow pain during this resisted motion supports the diagnosis. The other tests target different conditions: Phalen’s test screens for carpal tunnel syndrome; Finkelstein’s test screens for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis; Hawkins–Kennedy tests for shoulder impingement. Thus, Cozen’s test is the most appropriate and commonly used for lateral epicondylitis.