title: Corticosteroid and platelet-rich plasma injection therapy in tennis elbow (lateral epicondylalgia): a survey of current U.K. specialist practice and a call for clinical guidelines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tennis elbow is a common condition with a variety of treatment options, but little is known about which of these options specialists choose most commonly. Corticosteroid injections in tennis elbow may reduce pain in the short-term but delay long-term recovery. We have undertaken a UK-wide survey of upper limb specialists to assess current practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional electronic survey of current members of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS) and the British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH).
  
  
  RESULTS
  271 of 1047 eligible members responded (25.9%); consultant surgeons constituted the largest group (232/271, 85%). 131 respondents (48%) use corticosteroid injections as their first-line treatment for tennis elbow. 206 respondents (77%) believed that corticosteroid injections are not potentially harmful in the treatment of tennis elbow, while 31 (11%) did not use them in their current practice. In light of recent evidence of the potential harmful effects of corticosteroid therapy, 136 (50%) had not changed their practice while 108 (40.1%) had reduced or discontinued their use. 43 respondents (16%) reported having used platelet-rich plasma injections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent high-quality evidence that corticosteroids may delay recovery in tennis elbow appears to have had a limited effect on current practice. Treatment is not uniform among specialists and a proportion of them use platelet-rich plasma injections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Titchener
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, UK.
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Booker
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, UK.
authors.forename: Nivraj S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Bhamber
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, UK.
authors.forename: Amol A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tambe
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, UK.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D013178:Sports Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones
keywords: Tendons