PRP in Lateral Elbow Pain

The lateral elbow pain is a common condition that usually affects young active patients and used to be related either to labor or sport repetitive movements involving the forearm extensors. The differential diagnosis is mandatory and should distinguish among lateral tendinopathy, intra-articular problems, and even neuropathies that could present with lateral elbow pain. In those cases in which rest and avoidance or modification of the causative activities do not lead to a remission in symptoms, different nonoperative treatment could be useful. In case of absence of response to conservative therapies, surgery could be needed. In the last decade the interest in regenerative therapies has increased extraordinarily. Thus, different studies on the utility and efficiency of platelet-rich plasma (preparation rich in patient’s own blood growth factors) in the treatment of lateral elbow tendinopathy have been performed with confusing results.