Minimally invasive treatment for tennis elbow
Lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, is a common condition that is by far the most common cause of elbow pain. This is due to a degeneration of the extensor tendon origin at the elbow of unknown cause. This leads to pain with simple manual activities and is usually treated with activity modification, oral anti-inflammatories, therapy, and even injection of cortisone-like materials. In patients with persistent and prolonged symptoms, despite conservative treatment, there are several minimally invasive procedures that may alleviate or diminish pain. The traditional open surgery involves a very large scar and aggressive scraping of the degenerative and inflammed tissue leading to a prolonged recovery and large scar.
Arthroscopic elbow capsulectomy is a procedure where the lateral capsule of the elbow is removed and the inflamed tendon fibers are also removed using an arthroscopic procedure only requiring two small holes in the elbow. The pt. can begin range of motion exercises within 2 to 3 days of the surgery. Radiofrequency ablation is another procedure that is minimally invasive and allows for much more rapid recovery than traditional open surgery. This utilizes a radiofrequency device to make multiple penetrations into the tendon substance and stimulate new blood supply, thus healing the underlying problem. Both of these surgeries are performed by members of the American Hand Institute and allow for a much less painful and rapid recovery of the often-frustrating tennis elbow.
