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Tendinitis and other chronic tendinopathies
1Department of Orthopaedics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, USA.
Summary
Chronic tendon issues, often caused by repetitive stress and degeneration, lack clear treatment evidence. While some interventions offer temporary relief, direct surgical treatment of the affected tendon shows significant success for orthopaedic patients.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedics
- Sports Medicine
- Pathology
Background:
- Chronic tendon problems are prevalent in orthopaedic care.
- The exact causes (etiology) and effective treatments remain incompletely understood.
- Repetitive mechanical trauma, inflammation, age-related degeneration, and avascularity are suspected contributing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of chronic tendon problem etiology.
- To evaluate the efficacy of various treatment modalities for tendinosis and peritendinitis.
Main Methods:
- Review of histopathologic findings in chronic tendon injuries.
- Analysis of clinical evidence for conservative and surgical interventions.
Main Results:
- Histopathology often reveals tendinosis and/or peritendinitis.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs provide pain relief but do not alter the condition's course.
- Corticosteroid injections offer selective relief but have high recurrence rates.
- Direct surgical treatment of the affected tendon demonstrates high success rates.
Conclusions:
- Initial management includes patient education and addressing mechanical factors.
- Conservative treatments have limited long-term efficacy.
- Surgery is a highly successful option for directly treating affected tendons.