WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Dr. Moiassar A. Abdulmajeed* , Dr. Obayda Khaleel Ali, Dr. Muanna Al-Sarrage

ABSTRACT

Lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow is a painful syndrome of the elbow which affects a large portion of the adult population, it is generally self-limiting, but in some patients it may continue to cause persistent symptoms, which can be refractory to treatment. When the non-operative treatment of tennis elbow fails to improve the symptoms after six to twelve months a surgical procedure can be performed. Many different techniques are available. Despite the simplicity of the percutaneous release and its effectiveness in relieving pain with minimal scarring this procedure is still not widely accepted. Objective: To compare percutaneous release of common extensor tendon as a surgical method versus conservative management of lateral epicondylitis. Patients and methods: In this comparative study, 60 patients were included, 30 cases of them were treated surgically and the other 30 cases were treated conservatively. The patients were followed after each method of treatment for six months and data was obtained by physical examination and measurement of elbow range of motion by goniometer and the elbow function was assessed with the Verhaar et al. scoring system. Results: Our study showed that the surgically treated patients had better results according to the elbow range of motion and symptoms when compared to the conservatively treated patients in two, four and six months follow up visit. Conclusion: Percutaneous surgical release of common extensor tendon as a method of treatment of persistent lateral epicondylitis has better results than conservative treatment regarding relieves of symptoms and elbow range of motion. It’s safe, simple and patient friendly method with no major consequences.