Percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy with the TX-1 device versus surgical tenotomy for the treatment of common extensor tendinosis

The Effects of Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Tenotomy on Patients' Pain and Satisfaction Levels

INTRODUCTION

Tendinopathy is a common pathology with numerous treatment options. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous tenotomy is a newer procedure to treat chronic tendinopathy. It reduces costs and risks compared to other treatments, such as open surgery and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. The goal of percutaneous tenotomy is to induce an acute inflammatory response that recruits clotting and growth factors, induces bleeding, and transforms scar tissue and diseased tendons into a healing state.

METHODS

A tenotomy was performed in 57 patients for elbow epicondylitis (13), supraspinatus tendonitis (4), gluteal tendinopathy (34), and patellar tendinopathy (5). The survey was created and sent electronically to all 57 patients, yielding 46 respondents. Each patient was surveyed postoperatively to determine their pain levels on a numeric scale from 1 to 10 prior to and following the procedure. We also asked patients about their satisfaction with the procedure, whether they would recommend it to a friend, and how long it took them to recover completely.

RESULTS

Forty-six of 57 patients responded to the survey. The average healing time was 58 days, and no patients required further surgery. Pain scores significantly improved after tenotomies in the shoulder, elbow, and hip. About 74% of patients were completely satisfied with the procedure, and 80% received enough benefit to recommend it to a friend.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasonic tenotomy provides significant relief for tendinopathy in the shoulder, elbow, and hip for the majority of patients. The knee pain scores were not significantly reduced, likely due to the small sample size of four patients. Some patients did not experience complete relief and benefited from a PRP injection after tenotomy. Some patients did not benefit, likely due to additional pathology, arthritis, and referred pain. Some limitations to our study include the lack of a control group and each procedure was performed by the same physician, which limits its generalizability. The survey responses were subjective, and the sample size was variable between each body region. More high-quality research is needed to establish the efficacy of tenotomy between different tendons and compare it to other treatment methods.

Percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle tenotomy for treatment of chronic tendinopathy and fasciopathy: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To systematically assess the efficacy of percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle tenotomy (PUNT) in the treatment of chronic tendinopathy and fasciopathy.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed with the following search terms: tendinopathy, tenotomy, needling, Tenex, fasciotomy, ultrasound-guided, and percutaneous. Inclusion criteria consisted of original studies evaluating pain or function improvement after PUNT. Meta-analyses investigating standard mean differences were performed to assess the pain and function improvement.

RESULTS

Thirty-five studies with 1674 participants (1876 tendons) were enrolled in this article. Of which 29 articles were included in meta-analysis and the remaining 9 articles without enough numeric data were included in descriptive analysis. PUNT significantly alleviated pain with the standard mean difference of 2.5 (95% CI: 2.0-3.0; p < 0.05), 2.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8-2.7; p < 0.05), and 3.6 (95% CI: 2.8-4.5; p < 0.05) points in short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term follow-up intervals, respectively. It was also associated with marked improvement in function with 1.4 (95% CI: 1.1-1.8; p < 0.05), 1.8 (95% CI: 1.3-2.2; p < 0.05), and 2.1 (95% CI: 1.6-2.6; p < 0.05) points, respectively in short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term follow-ups.

CONCLUSION

PUNT improved pain and function at short-term intervals with persistent results on intermediate- and long-term follow-ups. PUNT can be considered an appropriate minimally invasive treatment for chronic tendinopathy with a low rate of complications and failures.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Tendinopathy and fasciopathy are two common musculoskeletal complaints that can cause prolonged pain and disability. PUNT as a treatment option could improve pain intensity and function.

KEY POINTS

• The best improvement in pain and function was achieved after the first 3 months following PUNT and was continued to the intermediate- and long-term follow-ups. • No significant difference was found between different tenotomy methods in terms of pain and function improvement. • PUNT is a minimally invasive procedure with promising results and low complication rates for treatments of chronic tendinopathy.

Ultrasound-guided tenotomy for lateral epicondylitis with TenJet improves physical functional and decreased pain outcomes at 1 year: a case series review

Background

Common extensor tendinopathy is a common cause of lateral elbow pain. Ultrasound-guided minimally invasive tenotomy (MIT) has been utilized successfully as a treatment for several years, but the use of TenJet device has not been well described.

Purpose

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of MIT with TenJet who failed nonsurgical management of common extensor tendinopathy in an outpatient setting.

Methods

A total of 100 patients with common extensor tendinopathy who failed conservative treatment underwent ultrasound-guided MIT with TenJet device in the outpatient setting at a single institution. All 100 patients prior to MIT underwent diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound showing common extensor tendinosis. The findings were interpreted by a fellowship-trained and board-certified musculoskeletal radiologist. Patients were evaluated with the Oxford Elbow Score prior to the procedure and at 1-year follow-up. Exclusion criteria included prior corticosteroid injection within the past 6 weeks of the MIT intervention, active local or systemic infection, complete full thickness tear of the common extensor tendon, and pregnancy.

Results

Oxford Elbow Score had a statistically significant difference in baseline to 1 year (P < .001). No complications were reported and zero patients went on to require open surgical intervention.

Conclusion

MIT with TenJet is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated treatment for common extensor tendinopathy.

The effectiveness of percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle tenotomy compared to alternative treatments for chronic tendinopathy: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To compare percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle tenotomy (PUNT) to alternative treatments for chronic tendinopathy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed with the following combination of keywords: ultrasound-guided, percutaneous, needling, tenotomy, Tenex, tendinopathy, and fasciotomy. Original studies comparing PUNT to alternative treatments for chronic tendinopathy were included in this systematic review.

RESULTS

Twelve (n = 12) studies with 481 subjects were included. Two (2/12) articles compared PUNT to surgical tenotomy and concluded that PUNT provides the same outcomes as surgical tenotomy. Six (6/12) studies compared PUNT to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, and two of them found both treatment modalities effective with no significant between-group differences. Three trials claimed that PUNT followed by PRP injections showed superior clinical outcomes compared to PUNT alone. However, the difference at long-term follow-up was statistically significant only in one of them. One study found PUNT superior to PUNT + PRP injection at short-term follow-up, although there were no between-group differences at long-term follow-up. Four (4/12) studies compared PUNT to steroid injection (SI) and showed that SI causes fast (2 weeks) but temporary pain relief, PUNT results in persistent but relatively slower improvement to SI, and the combined procedure has a more rapid and steady reduction in symptoms.

CONCLUSION

PUNT is an effective treatment technique for chronic tendinopathy and should be considered when non-invasive treatments have failed. Effects of PRP and SI are transient and dissipate over time and do not contribute to long-term outcome.

Treatment of chronic lateral epicondylosis: a randomized trial comparing the efficacy of ultrasound-guided tendon dry needling and open-release surgery

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided dry needling and open-release surgery in reducing pain and improving function in workers with lateral epicondylosis refractory to at least 6 months of nonsurgical management.

METHODS

We randomly assigned participants in a 1:1 ratio to receive dry needling or surgery. The primary outcome was the Patient Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) score at 6 months. Secondary outcome measures examined the impact of these techniques on professional activity, grip strength, and Global Rating of Change and Satisfaction scales. Statistical analyses included mixed-effects models and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

From October 2016 through June 2019, we enrolled 64 participants. Two participants were excluded, and data from 62 participants (48 ± 8 years, 33 men) with a mean duration of symptoms of 23 ± 21 months were analyzed. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. In the intention-to-treat analysis, no treatment-by-time interaction was observed (F_(4,201) = 0.72; p = .58). The least-squares mean difference from baseline in PRTEE scores at 6 months was 33.4 (CI 25.2 - 41.5) in the surgery group and 26.9 (CI 19.4 - 34.4) in the dry needling group (p = .25). The proportion of successful treatment was 83% (CI 63 - 95%) and 81% (CI 63 - 93%) in the surgery and dry needling groups, respectively (p = 1.00). Changes in secondary outcomes were in the same direction as those of the primary outcome. No adverse event occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound-guided dry needling resulted in comparable improvement in outcome scores on scales of pain, physical function, and global assessment of change and satisfaction than open-release surgery.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02710682 KEY POINTS: • In patients with chronic lateral epicondylosis, ultrasound-guided tendon dry needling provides comparable therapeutic efficacy to open-release surgery. • Ultrasound-guided tendon dry needling allows for an earlier return to work and may be less costly than open-release surgery. • Care management guidelines should recommend treatment by ultrasound-guided tendon dry needling before open-release surgery.

Rehabilitation and Return to Sport Following Elbow Injuries

Elbow injuries are frequently seen in throwing and overhead athletes. This review provides a framework for diagnosis, treatment, and particularly rehabilitation of common elbow pathologies, including ulnar collateral ligament injury, valgus extension overload, and medial and lateral epicondylitis. Advanced rehabilitation facilitates complete return to functional sport-specific activity and is based on objective criteria. As diagnostic and therapeutic modalities improve our understanding of elbow pathologies in the athletic patient, continued research will further elucidate objective evidence-based rehabilitation techniques.

Ultrasonic Tenotomy and Debridement for Calcific Tendinopathy of the Shoulder: A Pilot Case Series

Calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff is a common cause of shoulder pain and debility. Minimally invasive treatment options have been employed for management; however, ultrasonic tenotomy has not been previously described for management of calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder. The purpose of the current case series was to provide preliminary evidence in support of a novel treatment modality for calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff. This descriptive pilot case series included a total of 8 patients with calcific tendinopathy of the supraspinatus that underwent ultrasound-guided ultrasonic debridement in the sports medicine clinic. All procedures were performed by the same physician (JLE). All patients had confirmation of the diagnosis with MRI and ultrasound imaging. Pain was measured pre-procedure and followed until 3-months post-procedure. Very large, statistically significant, reductions (P < .01) in pain scores were observed at 1 (ES = 1.93), 2 (ES = 1.84) and 3 (ES = 2.20) months post-procedure, respectively. All patients experienced a significant reduction in pain scores, regardless of hardness of the calcium deposit, at 1 month post-procedure with pain scores remaining lower than at baseline at 2 and 3 months post-procedure. No adverse events were noted in any patients. Ultrasonic tenotomy and debridement appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with calcific tendinopathy of the supraspinatus.