Comparing Autologous Blood, Corticosteroid, and Combined Injection for Lateral Epicondylitis Treatment
Background
Lateral epicondylitis is a common forearm condition, and this study compared the effectiveness of autologous blood (AB) injection, corticosteroid (CS) injection, and a combined injection of both in treating the condition.
Materials and Methods
120 patients were divided into three groups for different injections. Follow-up assessments were conducted on days 15, 30, and 90 using patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) and hand grip strength (HGS) measurements.
Results
All groups showed significant PRTEE improvement by day 15, with CS group showing the most reduction. However, CS benefits deteriorated by day 30 and 90, while AB and AB + CS groups demonstrated sustained improvement. AB + CS was the most effective treatment, achieving significant improvement in 97.4% of patients. Hand grip strength improvements paralleled the functional enhancements, being more substantial in the AB and AB + CS groups.
Conclusions
A combined AB + CS approach optimizes therapeutic outcomes, providing swift and sustained functional improvement with a lower recurrence rate. This suggests a balanced, multimodal treatment strategy for enhanced patient recovery in lateral epicondylitis.
Level of Evidence
Randomized clinical trial, level 1 evidence.
Trial Registration
NCT06236178.
