Efficacy of Corticosteroid versus Platelet-Rich Plasma in Patients presenting with Lateral Epicondylitis at A Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: To compare the efficacy of Platelet rich plasma (PRP) and corticosteroid injection in patient with Lateral Epicondylitis. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Armed Force Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine Rawalpindi, Pakistan from Sep 2020 to Feb 2021. Methodology: A total of 144 patients were included in the study. Patients chose between either Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment or corticosteroid intra-lesional injection. The latter were included in group-A, while the former was allocated to Group-B. Baseline and follow-up evaluations at one, two, and three months, numerical rating scale (NRS), patients rated tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE), and grip strength using JAMAR® Dynamometer) were documented. Chi-square test was used to analyze data. Results: This study enrolled 144 participants. Baseline PRTEE, NRS, and grip strength were comparable for both groups. At one and two months, Group-A showed better short-term improvement. At three months, however, Group-B demonstrated better PRTEE findings (p=0.009) and reduced NRS pain levels (p<0.001). Both groups saw a progressive increase in grip strength with no discernible differences. The study showed that PRP is better in terms of improvement in different parameters like PRTEE, NRS and grip strength in the longer-term. Conclusion: This study showed there is no statistical significant difference in efficacy of platelet rich plasma and corticosteroids, with 100% efficacy seen in both groups with relatively better scores in PRP group as the follow-up duration increased.