Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31387611›Full record

SynthesisJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2019

A comparative study of the efficacy of ultrasonics and extracorporeal shock wave in the treatment of tennis elbow: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Chenchen Yan, Yuan Xiong, Lang Chen, Yori Endo, Liangcong Hu, Mengfei Liu, Jing Liu, Hang Xue, Abudula Abududilibaier, Bobin Mi and 1 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readComparative StudyMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05413967 (Effects of Mills Manipulation Versus NIRSCHL Exercises on Pain, Strength and Function in Patients With Lateral Epicondylitis), which is not on this map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
7.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05413967 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Effects of Mills Manipulation Versus NIRSCHL Exercises on Pain, Strength and Function in Patients With Lateral Epicondylitis

TypeinterventionalSponsorRiphah International UniversityRan2022 to 2023Enrolled32ConditionsLateral EpicondylitisArmsMills manipulation in addition to myofasical release therapy, Nirschl exercises in addition to myofascial release therapy
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 64 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Comparison of extracorporeal shockwave therapy, ultrasound therapy, and corticosteroid injections for treatment of lateral epicondylitis: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Chenchen YanDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
Yuan XiongDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
Lang ChenDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
Yori EndoDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02152, USA.
Liangcong HuDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
Mengfei LiuDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
Jing LiuDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
Hang XueDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
Abudula AbududilibaierDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China.
Bobin MiDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China. mi19882@163.com.
Guohui LiuDepartment of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Rd. 1277#, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China. liuguohui@medmail.com.cn.
Union Hospital · CNHuazhong University of Science and Technology · CNBrigham and Women's Hospital · US

Funding

National Major R&D Program of China 2018YFB1105705
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a common source of pain among craftsmen. Although it cannot be completely resolved, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and ultrasonics (US) have been found to be effective for tennis elbow as highlighted in previously published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and reviews. However, the efficacy of these two therapies in treating tennis elbow is unknown. This meta-analysis compares the effectiveness of ESWT and US in relieving pain and restoring the functions of tennis elbow following tendinopathy.

methodsRCTs published in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and SpringerLink databases comparing ESWT and US in treating tennis elbow were identified by a software and manual search. The risk of bias and clinical relevance of the included studies were assessed. Publication bias was explored using funnel plot and statistical tests (Egger's test and Begg's test). The major outcomes of the studies were analyzed using the Review Manager 5.3.

resultsFive RCTs comprising five patients were included in the present meta-analysis. The results revealed a significantly lower VAS score of pain in the ESWT group (1 month: MD = 4.47, p = 0.0001; 3 months: MD = 20.32, p < 0.00001; and 6 months: MD = 4.32, p < 0.0001) compared to US. Besides, the grip strength was markedly higher 3 months after the intervention in ESWT (MD = 8.87, p < 0.00001) than in the US group. Although no significant difference was observed in the scores of the elbow function after 3 months of treatment (SMD = 1.51, p = 0.13), the subjective scores of elbow functions were found to be better in the ESWT group (SMD = 3.34; p = 0.0008) compared to the US group.

conclusionsAlthough there was no significant difference in the elbow function evaluation scores between ESWT and US, the superiority of the ESWT group in the VAS of pain (both at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months follow-ups) raised grip strength in ESWT group and the scores for subjective evaluation of efficacy indicated that ESWT offers more effective therapy for lateral epicondylitis than US therapy.

Indexed as

Ultrasonic WavesExtracorporeal Shockwave TherapyFollow-Up StudiesHumansPain ManagementRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTennis ElbowTreatment OutcomeUltrasonic Therapy

Identifiers

PMID31387611
PMCPMC6683364
OpenAlexW2964884331

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.