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Resistant tennis elbow: shock-wave therapy versus percutaneous tenotomy

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Abstract

Fifty-six patients who suffered from chronic persistent tennis elbow of more than six months duration were randomly assigned to two active treatment groups. Group 1 (n = 29) received high-energy extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT; 1,500 shocks) at 18 kV (0.22 mJ/mm2) without local anaesthesia; group 2 (n = 27) underwent percutaneous tenotomy of the common extensor origin. Both groups achieved improvement from the base line at three weeks, six weeks, 12 weeks and 12 months post-intervention. The success rate (Roles and Maudsley score: excellent and good) at three months in the ESWT group was 65.5% and in the tenotomy group was 74.1%. ESWT appeared to be a useful noninvasive treatment method that reduced the necessity for surgical procedures.

Résumé

Cinquante-six patients qui souffraient de douleurs chroniques de type tennis elbow depuis plus de six mois ont été randomisés dans une étude avec deux groupes de traitements. Le groupe 1 (n = 29) a été traité par un traitement physique comprenant 1.500 chocs à 18 kV (0.22 mJ/mm2) après anesthésie locale, le groupe 2 (n = 27) a été traité par ténotomie percutanée de l’insertion de l’extenseur commun. Les deux groupes ont été évalués à 3 semaines, 6 semaines, 12 semaines et 12 mois après l’intervention au traitement. Le taux de bons résultats (selon le score de Roles et Maudsley) pour le groupe ayant bénéficié de traitements physiques a été de 65.5%, alors que le groupe traité par ténotomie présentait 74.1% de bons résultats. Le traitement physique apparaît utile. Il s’agit d’un traitement non invasif qui peut réduire la nécessité d’un traitement chirurgical.

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Correspondence to Walid S. Badawy.

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Radwan, Y.A., ElSobhi, G., Badawy, W.S. et al. Resistant tennis elbow: shock-wave therapy versus percutaneous tenotomy. International Orthopaedics (SICO 32, 671–677 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-007-0379-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-007-0379-9

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