Pragmatic randomised controlled trial of local corticosteroid injection and naproxen for treatment of lateral epicondylitis of elbow in primary care.

Hay EM, Paterson SM, Lewis M, Hosie G, Croft P. BMJ 1999 Oct 9;319(7215):964-8.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effectiveness of local corticosteroid injection, standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and simple analgesics for the early treatment of lateral epicondylitis in primary care. DESIGN: Multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled trial. SETTING: 23 general practices in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire. PARTICIPANTS: 164 patients aged 18-70 years presenting with a new episode of lateral epicondylitis. Interventions: Local injection of 20 mg methylprednisolone plus lignocaine, naproxen 500 mg twice daily for two weeks, or placebo tablets. All participants received a standard advice sheet and co-codamol as required. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants’ global assessment of improvement (five point scale) at four weeks. Pain, function, and “main complaint” measured on 10 point Likert scales at 4 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. RESULTS: Over 2 years, 53 subjects were randomised to injection, 53 to naproxen, and 58 to placebo. Prognostic variables were similar between groups at baseline. At 4 weeks, 48 patients (92%) in the injection group were completely better or improved compared with 30 (57%) in the naproxen group (P<0.001) and 28 (50%) in the placebo group (P<0.001). At 12 months, 43 patients (84%) in the injection group had pain scores 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early local corticosteroid injection is effective for lateral epicondylitis. Outcome at one year was good in all groups, and effective early treatment does not seem to influence this.

Lateral and Medial Epicondylitis of the Elbow.

Jobe FW, Ciccotti MG. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 1994 Jan;2(1):1-8.

Epicondylitis of the elbow involves pathologic alteration in the musculotendinous origins at the lateral or medial epicondyle. Although commonly referred to as “tennis elbow” when it occurs laterally and “golfer’s elbow” when it occurs medially, the condition may in fact be caused by a variety of sports and occupational activities. The accurate diagnosis of these entities requires a thorough understanding of the anatomic, epidemiologic, and pathophysiologic factors. Nonoperative treatment should be tried first in all patients, beginning with an initial phase of rest, ice, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and possibly corticosteroid injection. A second phase includes coordinated rehabilitation, consisting of range-of-motion and strengthening exercises and counterforce bracing, as well as technique enhancement and equipment modification if a sport or occupation is causative. Nonoperative treatment has been deemed highly successful, yet the few prospective reports available suggest that symptoms frequently persist or recur. Operative treatment is indicated for debilitating pain that is diagnosed after the exclusion of other pathologic causes for pain and that persists in spite of a well-managed nonoperative regimen spanning a minimum of 6 months. The surgical technique involves excision of the pathologic portion of the tendon, repair of the resulting defect, and reattachment of the origin to the lateral or medial epicondyle. Surgical treatment results in a high degree of subjective relief, although objective strength deficits may persist.

Novel use of laser doppler imaging for investigating epicondylitis.

Ferrell WR, Balint PV, Sturrock RD. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2000 Nov;39(11):1214-7.

OBJECTIVE: This investigation evaluated a novel form of tissue perfusion measurement, laser Doppler imaging (LDI), in a case of lateral epicondylitis to establish if it might have applications in assessing soft tissue lesions. LDI was used in conjunction with ultrasonography to provide information about tissue oedema as well as the power Doppler signal as an alternative method of assessing blood flow. METHODS: A laser Doppler imager with a near-infrared (NIR) laser source was used to improve tissue penetration and yield measurements of perfusion (flux) from structures under the skin. Skin temperature over the lateral epicondylar region was also measured. Ultrasonography was used in both grey-scale and power Doppler modes. LDI, temperature measurements and ultrasonographic data were obtained before treatment and serially after local injection of methylprednisolone. RESULTS: Before treatment there was increased perfusion and skin temperature and the presence of a power Doppler sign associated with the right lateral epicondyle as well as oedema at the extensor origin. None of these was present at the asymptomatic contralateral epicondylar region. Twenty-four hours after methylprednisolone administration, both perfusion and skin temperature had increased, and they declined over the subsequent 48 h. Although skin temperature had declined to normal (referenced to the contralateral epicondyle) by the third day after injection, it took until the eleventh day after injection for perfusion to normalize. CONCLUSIONS: LDI using an NIR laser source appears to be an effective non-invasive method for the examination of inflammatory responses in soft tissue, with greater sensitivity than thermally based methods. In addition, LDI was found to correlate with power Doppler ultrasonography.