Often, chronic tendon can become very debilitating and frustrating as it keeps us from being able to participate in the activities that we would like to. It also tends to be a problem that doesn’t necessarily resolve on its own, because of the abnormal tissue that forms within the tendon.
Dr. Eric Robinson, sports medicine physician with Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital, explains the Tenex procedure and how it can help those with chronic tendon pain.
What is the Tenex procedure? How does it work? The procedure called ultrasound-guided percutaneous tenotomy uses the Tenex Health cutting tool to remove damaged fibers and scar tissue from the tendon using a small ultrasonic wave. Saline is used to cool and wash the tendon while this is happening, and you can kind of think of it as a “power wash” of the tendon.
Do you do the procedure more than once how often? Typically, the procedure is performed once to heal the problem, but there are some tendons that can be stubborn (like the patellar or Achilles tendon), that can occasionally need a second treatment.
What do the outcomes look like with the procedure? This is a highly successful procedure, and in fact, we have done some internal reviews that show 90% success rates for most cases.
Who qualifies for Tenex? Typically, we discuss this as an option for patients that have suffered with tendon pain for several months and have tried other conservative treatments like rehab exercises or physical therapy without success. We also utilize ultrasound imaging to look for areas of damaged tendon tissue before deciding if this would be a good option.
