A Comparative Study of Management of Lateral Epicondylitis by Corticosteroid and Local Anaesthetic Injection versus Ultrasound Therapy versus Epicondylar Band Orthosis

Abstract Background: A significant number of treatment options are available for managing lateral epicondylitis with variable efficacy. Aims and Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injection versus ultrasound therapy (UST) versus epicondylar band orthosis in lateral epicondylitis. Materials and Methods: After receiving approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, this non-blinded randomised parallel group prospective study was initiated at the physical medicine and rehabilitation outpatient department of a state general hospital. After considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, initially 110 cases were enlisted and randomly divided into three groups. Group A, Group B and Group C were treated with corticosteroid plus local anaesthetic injection, UST and epicondylar band orthosis, respectively. Therapeutic exercises were prescribed to all the groups. The following parameters were assessed periodically on the 4 th , 8 th and 12 th weeks: (i) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and (ii) Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score for functional improvement. Data of 33 cases were analysed in each group, as there were 11 dropouts. Results: Significant improvement was noted in both VAS and DASH scores in Group A at the 4 th week ( P < 0.001), but at the end of the study, Group B showed more improvement in the DASH score. Group C showed no significant improvement in either the parameters at the end of this study. Conclusion: Longer beneficial effects on functional parameters were noted with UST, whereas short-term benefits were more with local corticosteroid injection. Minimal/insignificant benefit was noted with the use of the epicondylar band.