title: Glycosaminoglycan polysulfate injections in lateral humeral epicondylalgia: a placebo-controlled double-blind trial.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic benefit of local Glycosaminoglycan polysulfate (GAGPS) injections in the treatment of chronic epicondylalgia. The study was conducted as a prospective, placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Sixty patients with a typical history of pain for at least 3 months who attended two private orthopaedic clinics in Stockholm received 50 mg GAGPS or placebo injections, one injection a week, for five weeks. The main outcome measures were the patients' evaluation of pain in connection with daily activities with a visual analogue scale and the number of treatment failures. The follow-up period was six months. The difference in reduction of painscore (VAS) ranging between 11.1 percentage units at the half-year follow-up and 20.9 percentage units 2 weeks after the treatment period is clinically good. The number of treatment failures in the GAGPS treatment groups at the 6 week follow-up was only 4 (13%) compared with 12 (40%) of the placebo treated patients. At the half-year follow-up 5 of those who received GAGPS had experienced a recurrency. The recurrency rate is thus smaller than most of those reported in controlled studies with corticosteroids. In the GAGPS treated group 13 patients reported on local pain after some injections, 2 cases combined with local haematomas, compared with 5 cases of local pain in the placebo group. The results confirm previous good results of GAGPS injection therapy in subchronic and chronic peritendinitis.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Outpatient Clinic Odenplan, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akermark
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Crone
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Elsasser
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Forsskåhl
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004550:Elbow; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010919:Placebos; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D010919:Placebos; C013786:A73025