Current treatment options for tendinopathy.
BACKGROUND
Tendon disorders are frequent and are responsible for much morbidity, both in sport and the workplace. Although several therapeutic options are routinely used, very few well-conducted randomised prospective, placebo, controlled trials have been performed to assist in choosing the best evidence-based management.


METHODS
We performed a comprehensive search of PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, and Embase databases over the years 1966 - 2010 to review the best evidence-based options for the management of patients with tendinopathy.


RESULTS
The reader will obtain information on the available medical and surgical therapies used to manage tendinopathy-related symptoms. The effectiveness of therapies, the length of management and the adverse effects are examined.


CONCLUSIONS
Management of tendinopathy is often anecdotic and lacking well-researched scientific evidence. Teaching patients to control the symptoms may be more beneficial than leading them to believe that tendinopathy is fully curable.
Maffulli
Nicola
N
Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Hospital, Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 275 Bancroft Road, London E1 4 DG, UK. n.maffulli@qmul.ac.uk
Longo
Umile Giuseppe
UG
Loppini
Mattia
M
Denaro
Vincenzo
V
D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*