215 - From Pain to Performance: The Impact of Tenex in Treating Chronic Tendinopathies: A Systematic Review

Data was collected through ProQuest and PubMed databases to identify relevant articles published from 2013 to 2024. Articles were selected based on the keywords Tenex and included any relevance to the uses, pros, and cons of using Tenex treatment modalities for tendinopathy. Articles involving irrelevant topics, systematic reviews, meta-analyses were excluded. We extracted and synthesized data on methodologies, participant demographics, treatment protocols, and outcome measures from the papers studied to evaluate Tenex treatment's efficacy.

Results:

The review encompassed a total of 131 patients across the three chosen studies. For ITB tendinopathy-related GTPS, 48 patients (56 hips) treated with Tenex showed significant improvement in pain and function over one year, with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11) scores decreasing from a median of 9 to 5 (p < 0.001), and functional improvements in the action of side-lying (57%), sit-to-stand (78%), and walking tolerance (66%). In another study on the use of Tenex for the treatment of epicondylitis, 37 patients with refractory lateral epicondylitis who were treated with Tenex demonstrated significant reductions in PRTEE (Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation) and DASH scores, which persisted up to three years post-intervention (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Tenex ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle tenotomy is an effective treatment for chronic tendinopathies, providing significant pain relief and functional improvement with sustained benefits over the long term. This systematic review supports Tenex as a viable alternative to PRP and other treatments, particularly for patients with refractory conditions. However, because Tenex is a relatively newer treatment modality, further large-scale, randomized controlled trials are warranted.