Use of anatomic measurement to guide injection of botulinum toxin for the management of chronic lateral epicondylitis: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: When using botulinum toxin for the management of lateral epicondylitis, injection at a fixed distance from an anatomic landmark could result in inadequate paralysis of the intended muscle. We assessed the effectiveness of injection of botulinum toxin using precise anatomic measurement in individual patients. METHODS: In this randomized placebo-controlled trial, 48 patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis were randomly assigned to receive a single injection of either botulinum toxin (60 units) or placebo (normal saline). The site of injection was chosen as a distance one-third the length of the forearm from the tip of the lateral epicondyle on the course of the posterior interosseus nerve. The primary outcome measure was intensity of pain at rest, measured with the use of a 100-mm visual analogue scale, at baseline and at 4, 8 and 16 weeks after injection. RESULTS: Compared with the placebo group, the group given botulinum toxin had significant reductions in pain at rest during follow-up (decrease at 4 weeks 14.1 mm, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.8-22.3; at 8 weeks 11.5 mm, 95% CI 2.0-21.0; at 16 weeks 12.6 mm, 95% CI 7.7-17.8; p = 0.01). As for the secondary outcomes, the intensity of pain during maximum pinch decreased in the botulinum toxin group; there was no difference in pain during maximum grip or in grip strength between the two groups. All but one of the patients in the intervention group experienced weakness in the extension of the third and fourth fingers at week 4 that resolved by week 16. No serious adverse events were reported. INTERPRETATION: The use of precise anatomic measurement to guide injection of botulinum toxin significantly reduced pain at rest in patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis. However, the transient extensor lag makes this method inappropriate for patients whose job requires finger extension.

Proximal tibiofibular joint synovial cyst--one pathology with three different presentations.

Synovial cysts of the proximal tibiofibular joint are less common than synovial cysts of the knee joint but may present in a similar fashion and may be difficult to diagnose clinically. We report three cases of such synovial cysts: (1) the synovial cyst presented as an asymptomatic lump distal to lateral joint line of the knee; (2) the synovial cyst presented as a mass fluctuating in size with intermittent symptoms; (3) a man with a large mass in proximal anterior leg and drop foot. The patients were operated. The first and the third patients were treated successfully without recurrence, and complete recovery of the proneal nerve in third case ensued. The synovial cyst recurred in the second case; however, the patient refused a second operation. Age distribution and clinical manifestation of extraneural proximal tibiofibular joint synovial cyst is discussed in the light of relevant literature.