US scientists identify new paradigm in tennis elbow repair

A study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that platelet-rich plasma collected from and then re-injected into the tendons of patients affected with tennis elbow provides more relief than more commonly-used therapies which have failed to yield results.

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a common problem for people whose activities require strong gripping or repetitive wrist motions. Treatments such as rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, bracing, physical therapy, and injections of corticosteroids are often used but recent studies have questioned their efficacy.

A team of researchers from the Menlo Medical Clinic, Stanford University, USA, gave 15 patients a one-time injection of PRP into their affected elbow. At six months post-treatment, the PRP-treated patients' visual analog pain scores had improved 81% over their baseline scores and, after two years, 93% reported "complete satisfaction," while only 7% were "partially satisfied." Nearly all of the PRP-treated patients had returned to the activities of daily living and over 90% had returned to work or sporting activities, the authors noted.