Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39898191›Full record

ArticleJSES international2025

Minimally invasive needle tenotomy vs. platelet rich plasma injection in the treatment of chronic elbow epicondylitis.

Chantal T Nguyen, Michelle H Lee, Matthew W Kaufman, Yue Meng, Jyotsna A Koduri, Geoffrey Abrams, Emilie V Cheung, Michael T Freehill, Eugene Y Roh

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in JSES international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Chantal T NguyenDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Michelle H LeeDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Matthew W KaufmanDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Yue MengDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Jyotsna A KoduriDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Geoffrey AbramsDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Emilie V CheungDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Michael T FreehillDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Eugene Y RohDivision of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Medial and lateral epicondylitis, characterized by repetitive microtraumas to common flexor and extensor tendons, respectively, are common causes of elbow pain in adults. Though symptoms are generally self-limiting, 10% of cases are refractory to conservative management, persisting for greater than 18 months, and leading to surgery, which can have increased risk of complications. There is minimal data on sustained pain relief and functional benefit for newer nonsurgical management options, such as minimally invasive needle tenotomy (MINT), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for chronic elbow epicondylitis. Additionally, no previously established correlation exists between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) severity of chronic epicondylitis with pain and functional improvement in MINT- and PRP-treated patients. Methods: A retrospective review of 51 adults (n = 23 for MINT; n = 28 for PRP) was conducted to investigate long-term outcomes in pain relief (via visual analog scale or VAS) and improvements in upper extremity function (via quick disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire or qDASH). These outcomes were correlated with radiographic evidence of epicondylitis severity, assessed by the grade of epicondylitis and percentage thickness of tendon tears. Results: There were significant improvements in pain (VAS), but no significant differences in function (qDASH) following MINT and PRP. On average, VAS score improved by 2.6 ( Conclusions: There are multifactorial benefits of both MINT and PRP as safe, nonopen surgical modalities that can be used, despite MRI severity, to provide sustained pain relief for patients with refractory elbow epicondylitis.

Indexed as

Elbow epicondylitisFunctionImagingPainPlatelet-rich plasma injectionTenotomy

Identifiers

PMID39898191
PMCPMC11784263

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.