title: Autologous blood injection in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine mean decrease in visual analogue pain score after autologous blood injection in patients with lateral epicondylitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The quasi-experimental study was conducted at Ghurki Trust Hospital, Lahore, from December 10, 2012, to June 8, 2013, and comprised patients having lateral epicondylitis of elbow. Pre-procedure baseline visual analogue score was measured. Under aseptic conditions, 2ml of autologous blood was drawn from the contra-lateral antecubital fossa of the patient and slowly injected into the site of maximum tenderness. Patients were advised to continue their normal daily activities and were followed up at third and sixth week for assessment of pain intensity. Mean decrease was calculated by subtracting the post-procedure visual analogue score from the baseline value.SPSS 11 was used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 150 patients in the study, there were 127(84.7%) males and 23(15.3%) females. Male-to-female ratio was 5.5:1 Overall mean age of was 33.91±10.23 years. The mean pre-injection pain score was 8.97±1.02 and post-injection was 3.59±1.58. Mean decrease in VAS pain score was 5.37±1.80.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autolgous blood injection was found to be an effective way to treat patients of epicondylitis elbow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Lahore Medical & Dental College, Ghurki Trust Hospital, Lahore.
authors.forename: Qazi Muhammad
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Lahore Medical & Dental College, Ghurki Trust Hospital, Lahore.
authors.forename: Ijaz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics & Spine Surgery, Lahore Medical & Dental College, Ghurki Trust Hospital, Lahore.
authors.forename: Amer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aziz
keywords: Autologous blood injection, Treatment, Lateral epicondylitis.