Chronic lateral epicondylitis, or "tennis elbow," is rare and affects 1% to 3% of adults annually. The initial treatment should be nonoperative and include physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, rest, bracing, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, and injection therapy with various agents such as autologous blood, dextrose, corticosteroids, or platelet-rich plasma. The condition is self-limited, and approximately 80% of cases resolve. In refractory cases, arthroscopic release with debridement is a good surgical option but is not superior to open or percutaneous techniques. Recent research shows that a reduction in magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity in patients who respond to arthroscopic treatment correlates with pain reduction and functional outcome improvement.
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