Arthroscopic treatment of lateral epicondylitis

Background. Chronic lateral epicondylitis resistant to conservative therapy might necessitate surgery; a percutaneous, open, or arthroscopic procedure can be performed. Objectives. Value of arthroscopic extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) tendon release for tennis elbow. Material and methods. A detailed description of the surgical technique and an analysis of relevant publications are given. Our own results are evaluated on average 63 months postoperatively by a telephone survey. Patient satisfaction, current pain rating, and revision rates of 23 patients are reported. Results. In the literature, results of arthroscopic ECRB tendon release are similar to the results of open or percutaneous techniques. After arthroscopic surgery, patients tend to return earlier to work than after open methods. In addition, intraarticular patholgies can be addressed. Among our own patients, 20 of 23 patients were very satisfied, while 3 were satisfied. Eight patients had still pain on exertion, but less than preoperatively. No patient needed revision surgery. All patients would undergo the surgery again. Conclusion. Arthroscopic ECRB tendon release is an effective procedure for surgical treatment of chronic lateral epicondylitis.