Abstract
Percutaneous electrolysis (EPI®) is an ultrasound-guided minimally invasive new technology consisting of the application of a galvanic electrolytic current through an acupuncture. The objective of this therapy is to generate a local inflammatory response and start regeneration mechanisms. Different studies report promising clinical results with the EPI® technique in the treatment of musculoskeletal pathologies, mainly tendinopathies, such as the patellar tendinopathy. This study provides an analysis of patellar tendinopathy treated with the combination of EPI and eccentric exercises. The working hypothesis is that intratissue percutaneous electrolysis obtains a significant improvement in terms of pain and function in the patellar tendinopathies. A prospective study was performed involving 23 soccer players diagnosed with patellar tendinopathy. All patients underwent EPI® technique that was applied with an intensity of 3 mA during a period of 10 s. In all cases, the EPI® procedure was performed guided by high-resolution Doppler ultrasound. All patients received a weekly session of EPI combined with two weekly sessions of eccentric exercise consisting of three sets of ten repetitions at low velocity and without pain. Functional improvement was assessed in 91.7% of the total sample (n = 22), measured by the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patellar Tendon (VISA-P) questionnaire. The present study has shown promising results obtained with EPI® combined with eccentric exercise in the treatment of proximal patellar enthesopathy in a population of soccer players.
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Calderón-Díez, L., Sánchez-Sánchez, J.L., Sánchez-Ibáñez, J.M., Belón-Pérez, P. (2023). Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPI®), a Promising Technology in the Treatment of Insertional Patellar Tendinopathy in Soccer Players. In: Julián, V., Carneiro, J., Alonso, R.S., Chamoso, P., Novais, P. (eds) Ambient Intelligence—Software and Applications—13th International Symposium on Ambient Intelligence. ISAmI 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 603. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22356-3_3
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