Highlights
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Todayâs Research Article: PRP delivers twice the healing at six months compared to steroids â and helps patients avoid surgery.
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Questions from the Field: When your results are better, your price should be too â charge for the quality and outcomes you deliver.
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Letâs Get Down to Business: If patients canât find you online, theyâll never book â make digital marketing your best closer.
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Todayâs Research Article
Autologous Plateletârich Plasma versus Corticosteroid in the Management of Elbow Epicondylitis: A Randomized Study
Ankit Varshney, Rajesh Maheshwari, Anil Juyal, Atul Agrawal, Prabhnoor Hayer
Summary:
In this randomized study by Varshney et al., 112 patients with elbow epicondylitis were treated with either a corticosteroid injection or autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection and followed for six months. Both groups showed comparable pain and function improvement at 1 and 2 months, but significant differences emerged later: at 6 months, PRP patients had a 91% improvement in pain scores compared to 42.2% in the steroid group, and a 54.4% improvement in function scores versus only 1.25% with steroids. Importantly, no complications such as infections were reported, although mild post-injection pain was noted.
The findings suggest that while corticosteroids provide short-term relief, PRP leads to superior and longer-lasting improvements by promoting true healing at the tendon level. PRP offers a regenerative treatment approach, whereas steroids mainly suppress inflammation temporarily and may cause structural tendon changes over time. The study concludes that PRP should be considered as a primary nonsurgical option for managing elbow epicondylitis, especially for patients who seek durable recovery without the risks of tendon degeneration.
Talking Points for Doctors to Patients: Why Choose PRP
