Results of autologous blood injection as an option of treatment in tennis elbow

Objectives: Tennis elbow (TE) or lateral epicondylitis, first described by Runge in 1873, is a common myotendinosis. Different modes of treatment are used in its management. This study was conducted to report the results of autologous blood injection (ABI) in the treatment of TE. Materials and Methods: A prospective case study was performed to evaluate the results of ABI in the management of TE. Twenty three patients with tennis elbow were injected with 2 ml of autologous blood. The patients were evaluated under regular follow-up during which the satisfaction was assessed. The effectiveness of the procedure was assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Nirschl Phase Scale (NPS). If pain was not relieved entirely after 6 weeks a repeat injection was offered. Results: Twenty-three patients with diagnosed TE were treated by ABI (12 males, 11 female) and were followed-up for an average period of 10 months (range 6-19). The mean age of the patients was 44 years. . After first autologous blood injection the average pain score (VAS) decreased from 8.2 to 2.5 and the average Nirschl phase scale (NPS) decreased from 6 to 2.0. The patients who opted for second injection after they were not completely relieved were evaluated further. And it was noted that both scores decreased thereafter earlier than what was achieved after first injection. Conclusions: Given the acceptable outcomes, autologous blood injection can be considered a good treatment option for TE when traditional treatment has fails.