Shock-wave therapy for tennis and golfer's elbow - 1 year follow-up

Thirty patients with chronic medial epicondylitis were treated with low-ene rgy shock waves. They received 500 impulses of 0.08 mJ/mm(2) three times st weekly intervals. At 1 year follow-up examinations were performed. Accordi ng to the Verhaar criteria, only seven patients reached excellent or good r esults. In eight cases a fair outcome was recorded, and in 14 patients the outcome was poor. Only six patients were satisfied with the treatment. The, average relief of pain was 32%. These data were significantly worse than f or identically treated patients with chronic tennis elbow. Thus, the questi on arises as to whether extracorporal shock-wave therapy is indicated in me dial epicondylitis.