Study: Fellowship-trained hand surgeons more likely to treat lateral epicondylitis with an open procedure

DENVER — Fellowship-trained hand surgeons were more likely to treat lateral epicondylitis with an open procedure compared with other specialty trained surgeons, according to results presented at the Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meeting.

Dean Wang, MD, and colleagues analyzed the trends of surgical technique, type of training of the operating surgeon, complications and concomitant procedures performed along with treatment of lateral epicondylitis from 2004 to 2013.

Dean Wang

Compared with shoulder and elbow- and sports medicine-trained surgeons, Wang noted fellowship-trained hand surgeons had a higher mean of submitted cases per collection period.

“When looking at the proportion of our open vs. arthroscopic cases, most of the hand surgeons performed their cases in an open fashion, and shoulder and elbow- and sports medicine-trained surgeons were more likely to perform their cases arthroscopically,” he said.

Wang also noted hand-, shoulder and elbow-, and sports medicine-trained surgeons were more likely to perform debridement with tendon repair vs. other specialty trained surgeons. When looking at concomitant surgical procedures, hand surgeons performed more neuroplasties than other specialty trained surgeons, according to Wang. – by Casey Tingle

Reference:

Wang D, et al. Paper #SS-55. Presented at: Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meeting; May 18-20, 2017; Denver.

Disclosure: Wang reports no relevant financial disclosures.