Abstract | BACKGROUND:
Tennis elbow is a common condition with a variety of treatment options, but little is known about which of these options specialists choose most commonly. Corticosteroid injections in tennis elbow may reduce pain in the short-term but delay long-term recovery. We have undertaken a UK-wide survey of upper limb specialists to assess current practice. METHODS: Cross-sectional electronic survey of current members of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS) and the British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH). RESULTS: 271 of 1047 eligible members responded (25.9%); consultant surgeons constituted the largest group (232/271, 85%). 131 respondents (48%) use corticosteroid injections as their first-line treatment for tennis elbow. 206 respondents (77%) believed that corticosteroid injections are not potentially harmful in the treatment of tennis elbow, while 31 (11%) did not use them in their current practice. In light of recent evidence of the potential harmful effects of corticosteroid therapy, 136 (50%) had not changed their practice while 108 (40.1%) had reduced or discontinued their use. 43 respondents (16%) reported having used platelet-rich plasma injections. CONCLUSIONS: Recent high-quality evidence that corticosteroids may delay recovery in tennis elbow appears to have had a limited effect on current practice. Treatment is not uniform among specialists and a proportion of them use platelet-rich plasma injections.
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Authors | Andrew G Titchener, Simon J Booker, Nivraj S Bhamber, Amol A Tambe, David I Clark |
Journal | British journal of sports medicine
(Br J Sports Med)
Vol. 49
Issue 21
Pg. 1410-3
(Nov 2015)
ISSN: 1473-0480 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 24195919
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Copyright | Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions. |
Chemical References |
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Topics |
- Adrenal Cortex Hormones
(administration & dosage)
- Humans
- Injections
- Platelet-Rich Plasma
- Practice Patterns, Physicians'
- Sports Medicine
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Tennis Elbow
(therapy)
- Treatment Outcome
- United Kingdom
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