Corticosteroid injections for tennis elbow – A hard habit to break

Abstract

Objectives

In the UK, serial cortisone injections (CSI) to manage lateral epicondylitis (LE) is a routine practice. This remains so despite LE histopathological studies reporting chronic common extensor origin degenerative tendonopathy rather than inflammatory change. Several RCT studies have also demonstrated a lack of clinical efficacy for using CSI for LE, with more favourable outcomes achieved through autologous blood and platelet-rich plasma injections.

Methods

This case study follows a presentation in which corticosteroid injection (CSI) for LE was followed by recurrence of pain after initial relief.

Results/Discussion

An assessment of other options discussed in the literature led to a resolution of symptoms with a combination of enforced abatement of flaring activities and physiotherapist supervised graded forearm eccentric loading program, rather than repetition of the CSI.

Keywords:

• Lateral epicondylosis
• Corticosteroid injection
• Autologous blood injection
• Angio-fibroblastic hyperplasia