Recovery after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may take longer than patients expect. Furthermore, there are a subset of patients who still experience pain and dissatisfaction despite normal physical examination, radiographs, and laboratory analysis. Corticosteroid injection (CSI) is commonly used nonsurgical treatment for painful knee arthritis. However, the efficacy of CSI in patients with a painful TKA remains unknown. A retrospective charge review was performed to identify a cohort of patients who had a primary TKA performed between 2015 and 2016 and later received a CSI. All TKAs and CSIs were performed by a fellowship-trained arthroplasty surgeon. Patients receiving a CSI underwent a clinical exam, laboratory analysis to rule out infection, and radiographic evaluation prior to injection. Patient variables were recorded and a survey assessed the efficacy of the injection. The survey response rate was 63.6%.Introduction
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