Injecting tiny plastic beads into the arm may provide relief for tennis elbow, a condition that affects up to two million people in Britain. Tennis elbow is caused by repetitive arm movements, including those involved in sports. The condition is worsened by the inflammatory cells carried by blood into the affected joint, which leads to swelling and inflammation. The new approach involves injecting thousands of tiny plastic beads, each the width of a human hair, into the artery that supplies the elbow. These beads clump together and partially block the blood flow, reducing the number of inflammatory cells that can enter the joint. This, in turn, dampens inflammation and alleviates pain. The procedure, called arterial embolisation, is already used to treat various health issues, including an enlarged prostate and tumours. The beads used in the procedure are biocompatible and remain in the artery permanently. The technique is currently being tested in a trial involving 25 patients with tennis elbow at the University of California Los Angeles and is expected to run until 2027. Similar studies in Japan have shown promising results. However, potential side effects of the treatment include bleeding, infection, or injury to the treated artery. This method has also been used to relieve arthritis by injecting plastic beads into the knee joint, again reducing blood flow and inflammatory cell entry. These findings demonstrate the potential of using arterial embolisation to treat various musculoskeletal conditions.
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