Short-Term Clinical Outcomes of Mesotherapy vs. Saline Injection in Patients with Lateral Epicondylitis: A Retrospective Comparative Study

Background: Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) is a common cause of lateral elbow pain and upper-extremity dysfunction. Mesotherapy, a minimally invasive local injection technique, has shown promising results in musculoskeletal pain, but comparative data versus saline injection in lateral epicondylitis remain scarce. This study compared clinical outcomes of mesotherapy and saline injection in patients with lateral epicondylitis. Methods: In this retrospective, non-randomized comparative study, medical records of 55 patients with lateral epicondylitis who received mesotherapy (n = 28) or saline injection (n = 27) in routine clinical practice were reviewed. Pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale, VAS), grip strength, pinch strength, and upper-extremity function (QuickDASH) were assessed at baseline and 15 days after the first treatment session, with comparisons adjusted for baseline values, age, sex, and symptom duration. Results: Both groups showed significant within-group improvement in VAS, pinch strength, and QuickDASH scores, while grip strength improved significantly only with mesotherapy. VAS reduction was significantly greater with mesotherapy (mean change 4.25 ± 2.08 vs. 2.48 ± 1.67; p = 0.001; Hedges’ g = 0.92), as was grip strength improvement (median change 4.00 vs. 1.00; p < 0.001; r = 0.48); both remained significant after adjustment (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001). No significant between-group differences emerged for pinch strength (p = 0.461) or QuickDASH (p = 0.893). Conclusions: Mesotherapy was associated with significantly greater short-term improvement in pain intensity and grip strength than saline injection in lateral epicondylitis, without a clear advantage in pinch strength or patient-reported function. Given the non-randomized design and short follow-up, these findings should be considered preliminary and require confirmation in prospective, randomized, saline-controlled trials with longer follow-up.