Do blood growth factors offer additional benefit in refractory lateral epicondylitis? A prospective, randomized pilot trial of dry needling as a stand-alone procedure versus dry needling and autologous conditioned plasma.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether autologous conditioned plasma offers any therapeutic advantage over ultrasound-guided dry needling as a stand-alone procedure in the treatment of refractory lateral epicondylitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prospective, randomized pilot study of 28 patients (11 men, 17 women, mean age, 49.1  years) with refractory lateral epicondylitis (mean symptom duration, 19.1 months) who underwent either dry needling (n = 13) or dry needling combined with autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) injection (n = 15). Each patient received two separate injections (0 weeks and 1 month) and analysis of visual analogue pain scores (VAS) and Nirschl scores were performed pre-procedure, at 2 months and final evaluation at 6 months. Successful treatment was defined as more than a 25 % reduction in pain scores without re-intervention. Data was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and local research ethics committee approval was obtained.

RESULTS

At 2 months, the mean VAS improvement was 0.85 (12.3 %) in the dry needling group compared to 2.19 (27.1 %) in the ACP group (p = 0.76) and there was a 5.83-point and 20.3-point Nirschl score improvement respectively (p = 0.72). At the final follow-up of 6 months, the mean VAS improvement was 2.37 (34 %) in the dry needling group compared to 3.92 (48.5 %) in the ACP group (p = 0.74) and there was a 22.5-point and 40-point Nirschl score improvement, respectively (p = 0.82).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a trend to greater clinical improvement in the short term for patients treated with additional ACP, however no significant difference between the two treatment groups was demonstrated at each follow-up interval. A larger, multicenter, randomized controlled trial is required to corroborate the results of this pilot study.