대한수부외과 학회지
발행정보 Year : 1998, Volume : 3, Number : 1, page : 5 ~ 9  

Some controversy still exists regarding the etiology and the pathogenesis of chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis. So, we reviewed 17 cases which were taken surgical treatment for chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis about surgical results and microscopic histopathologic findings, from Mar. 1993 to Mar. 1997 at Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Medical Center. Patient's mean age was 44.8 years, and the ratio between male and female was 1:2.4. The occupations of patients were housekeeper in 7 cases, laborer in 8 cases and office worker in 2 cases. The mean duration of symptom was 20.7 months. And local steroid injection in average was 2.47 cases. We had performed operative treatment in all cases above. The results of follow-up were rated as good & excellent in 76 percent by Nirschl and Pettrone's grading system. The biopsy was performed in all cases. As a result, we have found mixoid degeneration in 7 cases, fibrosis in 9 cases, chronic inflammation with calcification in 3 cases, hyaline degeneration in 1 case and fat necrosis in 1 case. However, there was no evidence of acute inflammatory change. These changes are more characteristic of a degenerative and chronic inflammatory than acute inflammatory process.