title: Botulinum toxin injection versus surgical treatment for tennis elbow: a randomized pilot study.
abstract: Surgical treatment is considered the last option for chronic tennis elbow. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare treatment with botulinum toxin infiltration of the wrist extensor, a less invasive method, with a surgical wrist extensor release (Hohmann operation). Forty patients were included in the prospective randomized study; one group of patients had surgery (n = 20), the other group of patients was treated with botulinum toxin (n = 20). The results of evaluations after 3, 6, 12, and 24 months are presented. One year after treatment 13 (65%) patients in the botulinum toxin group and 15 (75%) patients in the operative group had good to excellent results. Two years after treatment 15 patients in the botulinum toxin group (75%) had good to excellent results; four patients had been operated on after initial treatment with botulinum toxin Type A. Seventeen patients in the operative group scored good to excellent (85%) at 2 years. When analyzed with an overall scoring system, no differences were found between the two forms of treatment. Botulinum toxin infiltration, a less invasive technique, may be an alternative for surgical treatment of tennis elbow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Keizer
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Rutten
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pilot
authors.forename: H H E
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Morré
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: v  Os
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Verburg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A