
Shoulder & Elbow
PRP may offer better pain, functional outcome than CS injections for lateral epicondylitis
J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2015 Apr;23(1):1-5.30 patients with lateral epicondylitis (LE) persisting for a period of more than 6 months and no bilateral involvement were randomly assigned to receive treatment with an injection of either platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or methylprednisolone, a corticosteroid (CS). Both treatments were compared in terms of functional outcomes and ultrasonographic findings involving morphological and vascularization changes observed in the common extensor tendon, when assessed up to 6 months post treatment. The study found that, while both PRP and CS injection resulted in significant improvement in clinical and functional outcomes, at 6 months the PRP group had significantly increased scores for all outcomes except hand grip strength in comparison to the CS group. Additionally, results in the corticosteroid group tended to peak at 3 month,s and then decline at the 6 month evaluation. While the PRP group demonstrated decreased incidence of positive ultrasonographic findings at 6 months, cases of reduced thickness of the common extensor tendon and cortical erosion at the lateral epicondyle increased in the CS group in comparison to pretreatment.
Unlock the full article
Get unlimited access to OrthoEvidence with a free trial
Start TrialCritical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics
Or continue reading this full article
Register Now

Subscribe to "The Pulse"
Evidence-Based Orthopaedics direct to your inbox.