At a glance
- Anaesthetic
- Local anaesthetic with light sedation
- Procedure time
- About 1 hour
- Hospital stay
- Day stay
- Back to light activity
- Usually the next day
- Where
- St George’s Hospital, Strowan
Typical for most people. Your consultant will tell you what to expect in your case.
On this page
Who it may help
TAME may be considered when elbow pain:
- has continued despite physiotherapy or rehabilitation
- regularly returns after activity
- has not improved enough with medication or injections
- interferes with work, sport, training or daily movement
- is linked to persistent inflammation found during assessment
Suitability depends on the cause of the pain, the treatments already tried, imaging findings and your overall health.
TAME is for chronic musculoskeletal pain, not recent injuries that need urgent treatment. A suspected broken or dislocated elbow should be assessed first through an emergency department or orthopaedic service.
Conditions treated
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow)
- Chronic elbow pain after repetitive strain or overuse
- Persistent pain that has not responded to physiotherapy, medication or injections
When elbow pain continues despite treatment
Chronic elbow pain can affect gripping, lifting, twisting and repeated hand or arm movements. Symptoms may interfere with work, gym training, racquet sports and ordinary daily tasks.
Common causes of persistent elbow pain include:
- tennis elbow, which causes pain around the outside of the elbow
- golfer’s elbow, which affects the inside of the elbow
- tendon irritation from repetitive lifting or gripping
- ongoing inflammation after strain or overuse
- persistent pain after previous treatment or rehabilitation
Many people are first treated by a physiotherapist or musculoskeletal physician, with exercises, changes to activity, pain relief, bracing or injections. A specialist assessment may be appropriate when these have not given enough or lasting relief.
What is transarterial microembolisation?
TAME is a minimally invasive procedure performed by an interventional radiologist using image guidance.
A small catheter is guided through the blood vessels towards the painful area of the elbow. Tiny particles are then delivered to selected abnormal blood vessels that may be adding to persistent inflammation.
By reducing this abnormal blood flow, TAME aims to lessen inflammation and improve chronic pain. It does not need open surgery and may offer an alternative for people who have tried the standard treatments.
TAME is still considered an emerging treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain. It is only recommended after careful assessment and is not suitable for every cause of elbow pain.
TAME for tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are commonly linked to repetitive stress on the tendons around the elbow.
Tennis elbow affects the tendons on the outside of the joint. Pain may get worse when gripping, lifting, turning a handle or bending the wrist back.
Golfer’s elbow affects the tendons on the inside of the elbow. Symptoms may occur with gripping, wrist movement, throwing or activities that repeatedly load the forearm.
Physiotherapy, rehabilitation and changes to activity remain the first treatments for these conditions. TAME may be considered when symptoms have become chronic and continue despite an appropriate course of conservative care.
How the procedure is performed
- The procedure is performed by an interventional radiologist.
- It is done under local anaesthetic with light sedation for comfort.
- A small catheter is inserted into an artery, usually in the wrist.
- Using X-ray guidance, the catheter is passed to the small arteries supplying the inflamed tendon.
- Tiny particles are injected to block the abnormal blood vessels while keeping normal blood flow.
- The procedure typically takes about an hour, and you go home the same day.
Benefits
- No surgical incision
- Local anaesthetic rather than a general anaesthetic
- Most people return to normal activity within days
- Less pain and better grip strength for many people
- Function and range of movement improve over time
After the procedure
- Most people can go home the same day.
- Light activities can usually resume the following day.
- Pain typically begins to improve within 2–4 weeks and continues to improve over several months.
- Physiotherapy helps restore flexibility and strength.
Risks and side effects
Complications are uncommon but may include:
- mild bruising or tenderness where the catheter went in
- temporary warmth, tingling or mild skin discolouration near the elbow
- a temporary increase in pain or stiffness for a few days
- rarely, infection, tissue injury or a small skin ulcer
Your assessment
Each patient is assessed individually before TAME is recommended.
The assessment may include a review of your symptoms, previous imaging, earlier treatments and the effect the pain has on everyday movement. Further imaging may be needed to see whether persistent inflammation is likely to be contributing.
Your consultant will explain whether TAME may suit you, what the procedure involves, and whether another treatment would be more appropriate.
More in Joint & tendon pain
- Knee osteoarthritis pain Aching, stiff knees from osteoarthritis, treated with genicular artery embolisation (GAE)
- Hip pain Pain on the outside of the hip or from hip arthritis, treated with TAME
- Shoulder pain Frozen shoulder and long-standing shoulder tendon pain, treated with TAME
- Achilles tendon pain Pain at the back of the heel from Achilles tendinopathy, treated with TAME
- Plantar fasciitis Heel pain under the foot that has lasted for months, treated with TAME
- How TAME treats most of these What transarterial microembolisation is and how the procedure is done
- Who is suitable for TAME The tendon and joint conditions that may be considered for TAME