The results of open surgical treatment in patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis

Objectives: We evaluated the clinical and subjective functional results of open surgical treatment in patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis. Methods: Eleven patients (7 females, 4 males; mean age 42 years, range 29 to 56 years) underwent open surgical treat¬ment for chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis. All the patients had received conservative treatment for at least a year without favorable response. Surgical procedure included release of the lateral extensor origin, excision of the degener¬ative tissue, decortication or drilling of the anterior lateral condyle, and repair of the extensor tendons. The results were evaluated according to the criteria proposed by Verhaar et al. The mean follow-up was 29 months (range 18 to 45 months). Results: The results were excellent or good in 10 patients (90.9%) and acceptable in one patient (9.1%). The mean time to return to work was two months. Nine patients were free of pain in the forearm in the postoperative third month. No wound-related complications were encoun¬tered. On subjective evaluations, 10 patients reported full satisfaction, and one patient reported partial satisfaction with the result of the treatment. Conclusion: Open surgical procedure including release of the origins of the common extensor tendons and exci¬sion of the degenerative tissue yields favorable results in the treatment of patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis.