Ultrasound-guided percutaneous bone drilling for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis

Abstract

Objective

To determine the clinical efficacy of sonographically-guided percutaneous bone drilling of the lateral epicondyle (LE) for the treatment of patients with LE.

Methods

We included 24 patients with LE who reported pain in this study. All patients underwent sonographically-guided percutaneous bone drilling of the lateral epicondyle. Follow-up sonography and physical examinations were performed 1, 3 and 6 months after the procedure. The outcome measures included sonographic findings, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, maximum voluntary grip strength (MVGS) and patient-related tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) score.

Results

None of the patients had immediate complications during the procedure. The area of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) tears decreased significantly at 1 month and declined gradually over the remaining 5 months of the study (p < 0.001). The mean pain VAS score was significantly lower at 6 months than preoperatively (respectively; p < 0.001). The mean MVGS increased significantly between pretreatment and 6 months post-treatment (p < 0.001), whereas the PRTEE score decreased significantly during the same period (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Sonographically-guided percutaneous drilling is a quick and safe treatment option for LE that can be performed in an outpatient setting.

Key Points

• Percutaneous drilling of the lateral condyle is effective for the treatment of LE.

• The area of ECRB tears can be measured by US-guided saline injection.

• US-guided percutaneous drilling is a quick and safe treatment option for LE.