[Treatment of elbow epicondylitis with platelet rich plasma versus local corticosteroids]

Epicondylitis is a highly frequent condition in the Mexican population. Recent studies have reported good results with platelet rich plasma. However, corticosteroids are the most common treatment used in Mexico.

To conduct a comparative study to determine which treatment provides better results (platelet rich plasma versus corticosteroids).

Patients were randomized into two groups. Group A was treated with a single administration of platelet rich plasma and group B with a single dose of 40 mg of methylprednisolone. Patients were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Quick DASH scale, applied before the procedure, and at one, three and six months.

The results were compared with an analysis using the Student t test. One month after treatment the patients had improvement with no significant difference between both groups. At three months results were better with platelet rich plasma; however, at six months improvement with the latter declined slightly.

The results show that platelet rich plasma provided better results from the perspective of pain control and effect duration. However, the number of applications and the possibility of improving the outcomes if combined with rehabilitation have not yet been determined.