Iontophoretic Administration of Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate for Acute Epicondylitis: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study

• Published in: The American journal of sports medicine 2003-03, Vol.31 (2), p.189-195
• Main Authors: Nirschl, Robert P., Rodin, Dennis M., Ochiai, Derek H., Maartmann-Moe, Craig
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - adverse effects; Chi-Square Distribution; Dexamethasone; Dexamethasone - administration & dosage; Dexamethasone - adverse effects; Dexamethasone - analogs & derivatives; Dosage and administration; Double-Blind Method; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug delivery systems; Drug Delivery Systems - methods; Drug therapy; Evaluation; Female; Humans; Iontophoresis; Male; Middle Aged; Pain Measurement; Sports injuries; Tennis elbow; Tennis Elbow - drug therapy; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0363-5465; 1552-3365
• DOI: 10.1177/03635465030310020601

Background: A better treatment modality is needed to control the pain of medial or lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Hypothesis: Dermal iontophoretic administration of dexamethasone sodium phosphate will be significantly more effective in controlling pain than a placebo in patients with medial or lateral elbow epicondylitis. Study Design: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Methods: On six occasions, 1 to 3 days apart within 15 days, 199 patients with elbow epicondylitis received 40 mA-minutes of either active or placebo treatment. Results: Dexamethasone produced a significant 23-mm improvement on the 100-mm patient visual analog scale ratings, compared with 14 mm for placebo at 2 days and 24 mm compared with 19 mm at 1 month. More patients treated with dexamethasone than those treated with placebo scored moderate or better on the investigator's global improvement scale (52% versus 33%) at 2 days, but the difference was not significant at 1 month (54% versus 49%). Investigator-rated pain and tenderness scores favored dexamethasone over placebo at 2 days. Patients completing six treatments in 10 days or less had better results than those treated over a longer period. Conclusions: Iontophoresis treatment was well tolerated by most patients and was effective in reducing symptoms of epicondylitis at short-term follow-up.