Tenex Procedure - Ultrasound-Guided Tenotomy

Introduction:

Tendons are the bands like fibrous connective tissue connecting the muscle to the bones. They are seen around the joints, which help individuals to move their body parts. So, it plays a vital role in bending, standing, walking, and jumping. Therefore, any damage by means of injury, degeneration, and recurrent movements would result in inflammation or scar buildup in the tendons. As a result, a person encounters chronic intense pain in the particular joint, restricting movements. Treatment should be considered at the earliest with the aim of preventing the worsening of tendon pain and mobility.

What Is the Tenex Procedure?

Tenex procedure, also referred to as percutaneous ultrasonic fasciotomy or percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy, is a minimally invasive technique performed in an outpatient means with local anesthesia. It is commonly recommended in the treatment of tendinitis (tendon inflammation) of the hip, knee, elbow, shoulder, and ankle. The approach breaks down and removes the damaged tissue by virtue of high-frequency ultrasound energies.

What Conditions Can Be Treated With the Tenex Procedure?

The injured tendons repair and regenerate on their own under normal circumstances. But, in some cases, the tendons fail to renew and tend to degenerate by replacing the healthy cells with calcium deposits, fats, and other compounds. This culminates in calcification, inflammation, and debilitating of the tendon tissues. Therefore, the procedure is commonly applied in the following conditions concerning tendons.

• Chronic tendon pain of tendinosis.

• Tendinitis- the acute swelling condition of the tendon.

• Plantar fasciitis.

• Golfer’s elbow or medial epicondylitis.

• Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis.

• Achille’s tendinosis.

• Jumper’s knee or plantar tendinitis.

• Proximal biceps tendinitis.

• Rotator cuff impingement.

• Rotator cuff tendinitis.

How Is the Tenex Procedure Performed?

This procedure requires a short span since it is done on an outpatient basis.

• Ultrasound imaging is done before and during the procedure to evaluate the tendon areas.

• The doctors will prepare the site by disinfecting and numbing with a local anesthetic agent.

• A tiny incision is then made. And a probe is inserted into this incision, the needle tips of which aid in quick vibration and produce high-frequency ultrasound radiation.

• This ultrasound energy induces breakage of the deteriorated tissues, while it does not influence the healthy ones.

• The probe then eliminates the breakdown of tissues from the aspects.

• The doctors will draw the probe out once the damaged tissues are wholly eliminated.

• Finally, the incision is closed.

Recovery:

It takes about four to six weeks for recovery after the Tenex procedure. The medical healthcare professionals will prescribe other adjunct treatments, including medications, corticosteroid injections, and physical therapy. Physical therapy will help address the movements in recovery and rehabilitation.

How Effective Is the Tenex Procedure?

The researchers and studies on the Tenex procedure are limited only with less evidence. The institutes and studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the Tenex procedure are listed below.

• A small study reveals the potency and efficacy of the Tenex procedure in the management of tennis elbow.

• Certain studies proved that the Tenex procedure could help manage gluteal tendinopathy and insertional Achilles tendinopathy.

• A study conducted in 2019 compared the efficacy of the Tenex procedure and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections when used in individuals with epicondylitis. The results concluded that both interventions showed comparable means of effects.

• Another clinical-based study was conducted in 2020 to demonstrate the efficacy of the Tenex procedure and Tendon repair surgery method in people with tendinosis. The results revealed that those individuals presented significant improvement three to six months after the treatment. However, the duration and efficacy of both treatments remained the same.

What Are the Side Effects and Complications of the Tenex Procedure?

Tenex procedure is regarded as a safe method with decreased risks for infection. The complication is rare with the Tenex procedure. The complications reported only by 0.01 % of individuals underwent the Tenex procedure. Also, nerve injury is rare with the procedure since the nerve fibers are not associated with the tendons. But the Tenex procedure includes specific side effects, which usually resolve with time.

• Pain and soreness at the injection site.

• Redness with mild bleeding in the area.

• Swelling for subsequent days following the procedure.

What Are the Benefits of the Tenex Procedure?

More than a minimal invasion, the Tenex procedure incorporates other benefits being highlighted from other interventions.

• Alleviate the tendon pain by eliminating the damaged and deteriorated tissue.

• Results in little or no scarring because of the minimal-sized incision.

• Utilize less span in comparison with other types of surgeries and interventions.

• Requires a briefer recovery span than other surgeries and interventions.

• Less cost.

• Possesses fewer risks and complications in contrast to other procedures requiring general anesthesia.

• Easy to address and approach.

How Long Will It Take for Recovery From Tenex Procedure?

The clinical findings say that it generally takes about six weeks for the fascia and tendon to heal. The individuals would report increased pain following the procedure for nearly two weeks. This gets resolved and returns to a lower degree of pain in about two weeks.

What Are the Drawbacks of the Tenex Procedure?

Though, the Tenex procedure is a trademark procedure including minimal invasion. It holds certain drawbacks that clinical trials and studies failed to prove.

• The procedure does not seem to be effective in severe cases of tendon tear and damage.

• Limited clinical findings prevail over the effectiveness of long-term Tenex.

• Clinical trials on a large scale have yet to be executed addressing the integral effect of the Tenex procedure in comparison with other procedures.

• The risks and adversities can be similar to other procedures in case of severe tendon issues like Achille’s tendinosis.

Conclusion:

The Tenex procedure is a minimally invasive approach for chronic painful tendon conditions in illnesses like tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis. This technique uses a specialized device to eliminate deteriorated and degenerated tissue within the area of affected tendons. The aim of this procedure is to alleviate the source of pain with the promotion of the healing process of the affected tendons. Tenex procedure is not an immense procedure to worry about; it requires minimal cost, invasion, and time. Moreover, the whole intervention demands only a single treatment with a minimal number of follow-ups and a shorter recovery span. The appropriate and effective delivery of the Tenex treatment will aid in potent viable results. Nevertheless, further studies and clinical trials are needed to validate the effectiveness compared with other procedures.