查看文章

Hench and co-workers [1] won the Nobel prize for medicine in 1950 for reporting the effects of the steroid hormone on the rheumatoid joint. Hollander et al [2] explained in 1951 how steroids could be used locally with reduction of systemic side effects. Since then, corticosteroid injections have been used widely in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, including acute and chronic tendon disorders.

Tendon injuries and other tendon disorders are a source of major concern in competitive and recreational athletes. It is estimated that overuse-type injuries account for 30% to 50% of all sports injuries [3]. High incidence of chronicity and recurrence result in appreciable morbidity and, in patients with work-induced tendon complaints, loss of productivity, representing a major socioeconomic detriment. In many sports events, especially in endurance and power sports,