RESUMEN
Objective:To evaluate the outcome of arthroscopic surgical treatment for recalcitrant tennis elbow combined with degenerative lateral ulnar collateral ligament (LUCL) lesions.Methods:A retrospective case series study was made on clinical data of 27 patients with recalcitrant tennis elbow combined with degenerative LUCL lesions admitted to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from June 2014 to December 2020. There were 19 males and 8 females, with the age range of 39-56 years [(49.8±6.9)years]. The degenerative LUCL lesions were evaluated arthroscopically. Arthroscopic LUCL debridement and shrinkage combined with repair of extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) were performed in all patients. The operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume and length of hospital stay were recorded. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS), patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) scale, and disability of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire were evaluated and compared preoperatively and at the final follow-up.Results:All patients were followed up for 12-73 months [(24.1±9.7)months], with the operation time of 0.75-1 hours [(0.8±0.2)hours], intraoperative bleeding volume of 5-10 ml [(7.2±1.5)ml], and length of hospital stay of 4-12 days [(6.2±2.1)days]. The VAS, MEPS, PRTEE and DASH scores were significantly improved at postoperative 1 year [1(1,2)points, 95(85,100)points, 8(6,12)points and 12.9(8.9,15.8)points] when compared with those preoperatively [5(3,6)points, 70(65,85)points, 47(42,62)points and 43.8(36.8,49.0)points] (all P<0.01). No patients had limited range of motion, wound infection, heterotopic ossification, traumatic arthritis and other complications. Conclusion:For recalcitrant tennis elbow combined with degenerative LUCL lesions, arthroscopic LUCL debridement and shrinkage combined with ECRB repair can achieve pain relief and elbow function recovery.