Abstract
Outcomes of traditional treatment methods of lateral epicondylitis are variable because of poor tendon healing properties secondary to poor vascularization. Platelet rich plasma provides locally high concentration of growth factors and have shown its efficacy in many tendinopathies and wound healing. We tried to measure the efficacy of locally injected autologous PRP, subjectively by functional oxford elbow score and pain score as well as objectively by ultrasonographic evaluation of the morphologic changes (focal hypoechoic, odema, tendon thickness, fraying, tear, cortical erosion, calcification) in common extensor origin in 30 patients with mean age of 39.3 years of recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis.
Introduction Lateral epicondylitis is treated non-operatively by rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, brace, physical therapy or by local intralesional injections of corticosteroid, dry needling or by surgical techniques. But these therapies do not alter the common extensor tendon’s poor healing properties secondary to poor vascularization of tendon, which is the basic pathophysiology in tennis elbow.