OBJECTIVETo observe clinical effect of different treatments for tennis elbow with small needle-knife according to its classification.

METHODSFrom March 2011 to December 2012,100 patients with 123 tennis elbows were treated with small needle-knife, including 36 males and 64 females, ranging in age from 29 to 76 years old (averaged, 49 years old). The course of disease ranged from 3 months to 2 years (averaged, 7.2 months). According to the classification, 46 elbows were with extra-articular type, 34 elbows with intra-articular type, 20 elbows with mixed type. All the patients were treated with small needle-knife by using different methods according to its classification.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up for 6 to 12 months with an average of 8.2 months. After treatment, the symptoms and signs of the patients improved significantly (P < 0.01). According to the criteria of the Verhaar scoring system, 35 of 46 patients with extra-articular type got an excellent result, 9 good, 2 fair; 24 of 34 patients with intra-articular type got an excellent result, 9 good, 1 fair; 9 of 20 patients with mixed type got an excellent result, 8 good, 3 fair.

CONCLUSIONThe causes of tennis elbow can not be explained by single pathogenesy, the patients with tennis elbow should be treated with different methods according to its classification, and the therapeutic effects can be improved.