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

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

methodsA 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.

resultsThirty-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.

conclusionPUNT 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.