Dooley Noted: 6/9/2014
The anconeus muscle is an oft forgotten yet clinically relevant muscle in the elbow extension family.
Listed under the lateral forearm compartment, anconeus is innervated by the radial nerve, the master of upper extremity extension. This muscle attaches to the humerus, radius, and ulna, and its name signifies it’s cone-like shape.
Anconeus blends in with the triceps brachii and extensor carpi ulnaris, making it a great assistant for elbow extension and ulnar deviation. Anconeus also smooths forearm supination and pronation.
You have felt the pain of an anconeus failure if you’ve locked out your elbow to feel a sharp pinch in the back of it. Anconeus prevents impingement of the humeroulnar joint capsule.
The weather is getting nice, so my patients are playing tennis and golf. I saw two people in one week with anconeus issues, leading to elbow pinching. The pain is often mistaken for tennis or golfer’s elbow, but the discomfort is located more at the olecranon and ulnar shaft, not the humeral epicondyles.
If you treat or are yourself a bench presser, golfer, tennis player, or other human forcibly locking out the elbow, make sure to have this muscle checked if you have any elbow pain on extension.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
