Surgical Treatment of Tennis Elbow; Minimal Incision Technique

  Background: When non-operative treatment of tennis elbow fails; a surgical procedure can be performed to improve the associated symptoms. Different surgical techniques for treatment of lateral epicondylitis are prescribed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of surgical treatment for tennis elbow based on small incision techniques.   Methods: This technique was performed on ۲۴ consecutive patients between June ۲۰۱۱ and July ۲۰۱۳. Outcomes were assessed using the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE), Nirschl’s staging system and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and satisfaction criteria. Results: There were ۱۵ female and ۹ male patients in the study. The mean duration of symptoms before surgery was ۳.۷ years. The average duration of follow-up was ۳۴.۸ months. The post-operative outcome was good to excellent in most patients. The mean VAS score improved from ۷.۲ to ۳.۵ points. The total PRTEE improved from ۶۸.۷ to ۱۵.۸ points. Conclusion: This procedure provides a low complication rate which is associated with a high rate of patient satisfaction. Therefore, we suggest this option after failed conservative management of tennis elbow.

Keywords:

Lateral epicondylitis , surgical technique , Tennis elbow