Tenex

Tenex is a minimally invasive type of tenotomy procedure that uses ultrasound to treat tendon pain in your elbow, knee, heel, foot, hip, or shoulder. Using a Tenex Health TX System device, your doctor can direct high-frequency sound waves to break up the scar tissue or calcium deposits that are often formed by tendinopathies like tendinitis or plantar fasciitis while leaving healthy tissue untouched. The technique also stimulates healing. It’s a minimally invasive procedure, so there are no large incisions or wounds, and you can expect a faster recovery compared with traditional surgery. Most people recover in about two months after a Tenex procedure.

Penn Sports Medicine specialists are trained in performing Tenex procedures and have been offering them for more than a decade. Our experts can evaluate your condition and consider whether you’re a candidate to have a Tenex procedure for tendon pain or plantar fasciitis. After surgery, you’ll have a personalized recovery plan that includes rehabilitation to enhance your recovery and help you get back to your usual activities without pain.

You might consider having a Tenex procedure if you’ve had tendon or ligament pain for more than three months and if medication and physical therapy didn’t help your symptoms. Tenex is used for plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, jumper’s knee, hip bursitis, Achilles tendinitis, tendinitis in the shoulder or other areas of the body, and other types of tendon pain. Talk to your doctor to find out if you’re a candidate to use Tenex for hamstring avulsion or bone spurs.

A Tenex procedure may not be a good choice if you have a chronic disease that’s poorly controlled like diabetes or peripheral artery disease because it could affect your healing. Your doctor will examine you, go over your health conditions, and let you know if Tenex is appropriate for you.

You’ll need imaging tests ahead of the procedure, which may include an ultrasound or an MRI. Before your Tenex surgery, follow your doctor’s instructions about stopping any medications. You’ll be able to go home after the procedure, but you may need to arrange to have someone drive you. Your appointment will be scheduled for an hour, although the procedure itself only takes about four minutes. Here’s what you can expect:

• You’ll lie down, the area being treated will be prepped, and you’ll be given a local anesthetic.
• Your surgeon will use ultrasound imaging to locate the damaged area on the tendon or ligament.
• Your doctor will make a tiny incision in your skin and will use a device with a small, hollow needle to reach the area that needs treatment, using live ultrasound images as a guide.
• High-frequency ultrasound energy is directed toward the damaged tissue, which breaks it down, and the tissue is removed through the hollow needle.
• If you also have a partial tear in your tendon, your doctor may combine the Tenex procedure with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to treat the tear and help speed your recovery.
• After the procedure, the area is covered with a bandage. Stitches aren’t needed because the incision is very small.

Most patients have a shorter recovery with Tenex than you would with conventional tenotomy surgery, but you’ll still need time to heal. You’ll receive instructions about what to do and what not to do immediately after the procedure and in the days and weeks afterward.

You may experience some soreness after the anesthetic wears off, which can be treated with pain relievers. For the first three days, don’t submerge the part of the body that was treated in water. You will also have some limitations on your activity, depending on which part of your body was treated. For example, you might have limits on how much you can walk, lift, or carry, and you might need to wear a boot, brace, or splint. If you had Tenex treatment for tennis elbow, you might have restrictions on typing. Your doctor will advise you on how to increase your activity level gradually throughout your recovery. You’ll also be given rehabilitation exercises to do at home. These are designed specifically for you to help you make the fullest recovery possible.

Within a week, your pain level should return to where it was before the procedure, and then you should see a gradual improvement in pain. When you follow your doctor’s recommendations, you should experience an improvement in pain and function within 6 to 8 weeks of the procedure.

Tenex procedures are safe, but every procedure carries some risk. Tenex side effects can include pain and swelling. There’s a low risk of infection or tendon or nerve injury after Tenex. There’s also a risk that the procedure may not reduce your pain, but this risk can be lowered by following your doctor’s post-surgery instructions and doing the rehabilitation exercises you’re given.

Penn Medicine is among a select number of medical centers that offer Tenex procedures. Our trained physicians have years of experience doing these procedures, and they perform dozens every year.

Innovative treatment: Penn Medicine is listed as a preferred provider by Tenex Health. If you live in the southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey regions, you’ll have access to a Tenex procedure near you. Because this treatment isn’t available everywhere, some people travel from outside of the region to receive this care at Penn.

Team approach: A team approach to your recovery is key at Penn Medicine. Our doctors work with sports physical therapy teams who are familiar with Tenex procedures and protocols to achieve the most ideal outcomes.

Custom rehabilitation plans: At Penn Medicine, we develop rehabilitation exercises to help enhance your recovery after a Tenex procedure. They are personalized, doctor-approved, and beneficial to your recovery.

Returning you to pain-free living: Our physicians’ goals are for you to be pain-free once you reach recovery. Tenex procedures have an 85% and higher rate of effectiveness, according to research. When combined with Penn Medicine’s focus on your rehabilitation, Tenex can help you find the relief you’re looking for from tendon or ligament pain.