Information for Medical Professionals

Arthroscopic treatment of tennis elbow offers 'best outcomes'

While most cases of lateral epicondylitis respond well to non-operative treatment, those which cannot be corrected by such techniques will require surgery.

Meditation, bracing, physiotherapy, corticosteroid injections, shock wave therapy and low-dose thermal ablation are all common treatments, but beyond this patients must go under the knife.

According to new research published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, when physicians have exhausted non-operative treatments to no avail, arthroscopy can be used, and the procedure offers excellent outcomes.

The researchers behind the new paper, entitled Arthroscopic Tennis Elbow Release, said: "Satisfactory results of the arthroscopic surgical procedures have been documented, with reported improvement rates of 91 per cent to 97.7 per cent."

They added: "The recent advances in arthroscopic repair and plication of these lesions, along with the recognition of the presence and repair of coexisting lesions, have allowed arthroscopic techniques to provide results superior to other measures."

Research published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery showed that severe elbow contracture can be treated with a combination of arthrolysis and dynamic splinting.

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