Of the many treatment options for tendinopathy, percutaneous tenotomy has been used throughout the body with success. With this procedure, a needle is repeatedly passed into the abnormal tendon with the goal of converting a chronic degenerative process to an acute inflammatory condition that will progress to tendon healing. Ultrasound guidance for this procedure is essential to ensure that the abnormal region of the tendon is accurately targeted. The treatment has few contraindications, and negligible complications have been described. This article reviews the rationale behind tenotomy for the treatment of tendinopathy and the ultrasound-guided technique. The current literature comparing the results of tenotomy to other percutaneous tendon treatments is also reviewed, although many of the other tendon injection treatments incorporate tenotomy as part of the procedure.
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.