Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow (Dec 2019)

Current Trends for Treating Lateral Epicondylitis

  • Gyeong Min Kim,
  • Seung Jin Yoo,
  • Sungwook Choi,
  • Yong-Geun Park

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5397/cise.2019.22.4.227
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 22, no. 4
pp. 227 – 234

Abstract

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Lateral epicondylitis, also known as ‘tennis elbow’, is a degenerative rather than inflammatory tendinopathy, causing chronic recalcitrant pain in elbow joints. Although most patients with lateral epicondylitis resolve spontaneously or with standard conservative management, few refractory lateral epicondylitis are candidates for alternative non-operative and operative modalities. Other than standard conservative treatments including rest, analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, orthosis and physical therapies, nonoperative treatments encompass interventional therapies include different types of injections, such as corticosteroid, lidocaine, autologous blood, platelet-rich plasma, and botulinum toxin, which are available for both short-term and long-term outcomes in pain resolution and functional improvement. In addition, newly emerging biologic enhancement products such as bone marrow aspirate concentrate and autologous tenocyte injectates are also under clinical use and investigations. Despite all non-operative therapeutic trials, persistent debilitating pain in patients with lateral epicondylitis for more than 6 months are candidates for surgical treatment, which include open, percutaneous, and arthroscopic approaches. This review addresses the current updates on emerging non-operative injection therapies as well as arthroscopic intervention in lateral epicondylitis.

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