ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Topical glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) treatment has previously demonstrated short-term efficacy in the treatment of lateral epicondylosis. No long-term follow-up has been performed. HYPOTHESIS: Benefits from topical GTN persist 5 years after the cessation of therapy. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective comparative study. METHODS: A follow-up study of 58 patients treated with 6 months of topical GTN or placebo, combined with a tendon rehabilitation programme, was performed 5 years after discontinuation of therapy. Assessment included patient-rated pain scores, clinically assessed lateral epicondylar and proximal common extensor tendon tenderness, hand-held dynamometer measurement of resisted third finger metacarpophalangeal extension with a fully extended elbow (Maudsley's test) and wrist extensor tendon mean peak force using a modified chair pick-up test (the Orthopaedic Research Institute-tennis elbow testing system). RESULTS: Patients in both the GTN group and those in the placebo group had significant improvements in symptoms, clinical signs and provocative functional tests compared with baseline week 0 measures. GTN did not offer any additional clinical benefit over a standard tendon rehabilitation programme at 5 years. CONCLUSION: While GTN appears to offer short-term benefits up to 6 months in the treatment of lateral epicondylosis, at 5 years there does not appear to be significant clinical benefits when compared with patients undertaking a standard tendon rehabilitation programme alone. This is in contrast to findings of continued benefits at long-term follow-up described in the literature for patients with Achilles tendinopathy treated with GTN.
