LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS

COMPARISON OF AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD AND CORTICOSTEROID IN THE TREATMENT. A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Objective: With aging, chemical hormonal and vascular factors have their part
to play in lateral epicondylitis. The objective is to compare results of autologous blood injection
and corticosteroid injection in treatment of lateral epicondylitis. Place and Location: Out Patient
Department of Peshawar Institute of Medical Sciences, Peshawar from March 2013 to February
2014. Material and Methods: A prospective randomized control trail conducted on 58 patients
fulfilling inclusion criteria. DASH score and VAS score used as outcome measures and both
were recorded before injections and at each follow up made at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks
and 24 weeks interval. P-value was calculated where applicable. Results: Out of 79 patients 65
met the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 41.43 years ±13.43. 36 were females and 29 males.
Dominant elbow involved in 39 patients. Mean duration of symptoms was 7.1±2.9 months. 7
patients lost in follow up. DASH score improved in both groups (P value <0.0001) but when
compared there was no significance difference between the two groups ( P value 0.33 at 12
weeks and 0.09 at 24 week follow up). Similarly Mean VAS improved at 12 and 24 week follow
up (P value <0.0001) in both groups but when compared the difference was non-significant
(P value .071 at 12 weeks and 0.12 at 24 weeks follow up. Conclusions: Both steroid and
autologous blood injection has shown improvement in pain and physical activity and provide
acceptable results although none superior to other significantly.