Cutting-Edge Surgery for Tennis Elbow, Traditional Treatment Lacking

Newswise — Surgeons at Mount Sinai Medical Center have found that less cutting is more beneficial to patients undergoing arthroscopic repair for lateral epicondylitis, also called 'tennis elbow.' Michael Hausman, MD, and researchers from the Department of Orthopedics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine are presenting findings from a clinical study at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), February 23-27, 2005, in Washington, DC.

Dr. Hausman and colleagues examined 30 patients who underwent the traditional method to repair tennis elbow. This method is performed by cutting the main tendon, removing surrounding scar tissue and reconnecting the severed tendon. The new method perfected by Dr. Hausman does not involve cutting the tendon. This method is technically more difficult, but patients have a faster return to daily activities.

Dr. Hausman will be available for interviews via phone at the AAOS meeting and immediately upon his return.

The Mount Sinai Medical Center

The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The Mount Sinai Hospital is one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. Founded in 1852, Mount Sinai today is a 1,171-bed tertiary-care teaching facility that is internationally acclaimed for excellence in clinical care. Last year, nearly 48,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients, more than 72,000 received care in the emergency department, and the outpatient department recorded nearly 470,000 visits. Mount Sinai School of Medicine is internationally recognized as a leader in groundbreaking clinical and basic-science research, as well as innovative approaches to medical education. Mount Sinai ranks 9th among the nation's 125 medical schools in the percentage of graduates who go on to faculty positions in medical schools across the country. Mount Sinai also is in the top 25 in receipt of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants with a total of more than $154 million during Fiscal Year 2003. Information about Mount Sinai can be found online at: http://www.mountsinai.org and http://www.mssm.edu