Arthroscopic treatment for chronic lateral epicondylitis

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Chronic lateral epicondylitis often proves refractory to conservative treatments.
• Surgical intervention may be necessary for persistent cases unresponsive to non-operative management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of arthroscopic release of the short radial extensor of the carpus (SREC).
• To assess the efficacy of this minimally invasive approach in patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis resistant to conservative therapies.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 15 patients with refractory chronic lateral epicondylitis underwent arthroscopic SREC release.
• Patients were assessed using the Mayo Elbow Functional Score, Nirschl's staging system, and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain pre- and post-operatively.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in all functional scores (Mayo Elbow Score, VAS pain, Nirschl's scale) post-surgery (p < 0.01).
• The mean Mayo Elbow score improved to 95, and VAS pain decreased from 9.2 to 0.64.
• No correlation was found between outcomes and patient demographics or injury characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Arthroscopic SREC release is a safe and effective treatment for refractory chronic lateral epicondylitis.
• The procedure offers excellent visualization of the joint for diagnosing and managing concurrent pathologies.
• Minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery provides a valuable therapeutic option for select patients.