Aims. To describe the incidence of adverse clinical outcomes related to COVID-19 infection following corticosteroid injections (CSI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. To describe the incidence of positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, positive SARS-COV2 IgG antibody testing or positive imaging findings following CSI at our institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. A retrospective observational study was undertaken of consecutive patients who had CSI in our local hospitals between 1 February and 30June 2020. Electronic patient medical records (EPR) and radiology information system (RIS) database were reviewed. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing, SARS-COV2 IgG antibody testing, radiological investigations, patient management, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Lung findings were categorized according to the British Society of Thoracic Imaging (BSTI) guidelines. Reference was made to the incidence of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in our region. Results. Overall, 1,656 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases were identified in our upper tier local authority (UTLA), a rate of 306.6 per 100,000, as of 30June 2020. A total of 504 CSI injections were performed on 443 patients between 1 February and 30June 2020. A total of 11 RT-PCR tests were performed on nine patients (2% of those who had CSI), all of which were negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and five patients (1.1%) received an SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody test, of which 2 (0.5%) were positive consistent with prior COVID-19 infection, however both patients were asymptomatic. Seven patients (1.6%) had radiological investigations for respiratory symptoms. One patient with indeterminate ground glass change was identified. Conclusion. The incidence of positive COVID-19 infection following corticosteroid injections was very low in our cohort and no adverse clinical outcomes related to COVID-19 infection following CSI were identified. Our findings are consistent with CSI likely being low risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this small observational study are supportive of the current multi-society guidelines regarding the judicious use of CSI. Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-9:605–611

Interstitial supraspinatus tears can cause persistent subacromial impingement symptoms despite non operative treatment. Autologous tendon cell injection (ATI) is a non-surgical treatment for tendinopathies and tear. We report a randomised controlled study of ATI compared to corticosteroid injection (CS) as treatment for interstitial supraspinatus tears and tendinopathy. Inclusion criteria were patients with symptom duration > 6 months, MRI confirmed intrasubstance supraspinatus tear, and prior treatment with physiotherapy and ≥ one CS or PRP injection. Participants were randomised to receive ATI to the interstitial tear or corticosteroid injection to the subacromial bursa in a 2:1 ratio, under ultrasound guidance. Assessments of pain (VAS) and function (ASES) were performed at baseline, and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months post treatment. 30 participants (19 randomised to ATI) with a mean age of 50.5 years (10 females) and a mean duration of symptoms of 23.5 months. Baseline VAS pain and ASES scores were comparable between groups. While mean VAS pain scores improved in both groups at 3 months after treatment, pain scores were superior with ATI at 6 months (p=0.01). Mean ASES scores in the ATI group were superior to the CS group at 3 months (p=0.026) and 6 months (p=0.012). Seven participants in the CS group withdrew prior to 12 months due to lack of improvement. At 12 months, mean VAS pain in the ATI group was 1.6 ± 1.3. The improvements in mean ASES scores in the ATI group at 6 and 12 months were greater than the MCID (12.0 points). At 12 months, 95% of ATI participants had an ASES score > the PASS (patient acceptable symptom state). This is the first level one study using ATI to treat interstitial supraspinatus tear. ATI results in a significant reduction in pain and improvement in shoulder function

Introduction. Liposomal bupivacaine has been shown to be effective in managing post-operative pain in hallux valgus and hemorrhoid surgery. However, non-industry-supported and well-powered randomized studies evaluating its efficacy in Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) are lacking. Our hypothesis was that liposomal bupivacaine would not decrease post-operative visual analog pain scores (VAS) or narcotic consumption in the acute post-operative period. Methodology. Two hundred seven consecutive patients were enrolled into a single-blinded prospective randomized study. We included patients undergoing unilateral TKA by five fellowship-trained surgeons with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or post-traumatic arthritis. Patients were excluded for any other diagnosis necessitating TKA, allergy to the medications, or pre-operative opiate use. Participants received standardized pain management, anesthesia, and physical therapy. Patients were randomized intra-operatively to one of three groups: an intra-articular (IA) injection of bupivacaine and morphine at the conclusion of the procedure, a peri-articular (PA) injection of a bupivacaine and morphine, or a PA injection of liposomal bupivacaine. Post-operative pain VAS and mean morphine equivalents (MME) consumed were recorded and compared utilizing analysis of variance (ANOVA). A power analysis demonstrated that 159 patients were needed for 80% power to detect a 25% difference in VAS or MME. Results. Patients in each study group had a mean VAS score of 3.95 (SD 2.1), 3.97 (SD 1.9). and 3.86 (SD 1.8) (p=0.94), respectively. MME consumed per day in each group was 100.7 (SD 48.4), 100.1 (SD 42.2), and 98.9 (SD 41.6) (p=0.97). Conclusion. Liposomal bupivacaine does not alter mean pain scores or post-operative narcotic consumption in patients undergoing unilateral TKA. Further, no difference was noted in comparing patients who received a single IA injection versus a PA injection. To our knowledge, this is the first reported study to evaluate post-operative pain control between identical IA and PA injections in patients undergoing unilateral TKA

Purpose. Intra-articular corticosteroid injection is widely used for symptomatic relief of knee osteoarthritis. However, if pain is not improved which consequences a total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is a potential risk of post-operative periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The aim of this study is to investigate whether the use of preoperative intra-articular corticosteroid injection increases the risk of PJI and to investigate a time frame in which the risk of subsequent infection is significantly increased. Methods. A systematic search was performed in PubMed (Medline), Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were original studies investigating the rate of PJI in patients receiving pre-operative intra-articular corticosteroid injection compared to controls. Results. A total of 380 unique articles were screened. Six studies met the inclusion criteria with 255,627 patients in total. Overall, no statistical significance was observed in the intra-articular infection rate in corticosteroid compared to controls groups. However, intra-articular corticosteroid injections within 3 months prior to TKA were associated with a significantly increased risk of infection (OR: 1.52, 95% CI 1.37–1.67, p < 0.01); this was not observed in the 6-month period (OR: 1.05, 95% CI 0.80–1.39, p = 0.72). Conclusions. Performing an intra-articular corticosteroid injection within 3 months prior to TKA is associated with a significantly increased risk of PJI. The current evidence supports the safe use of intra-articular corticosteroid injection more than 6 months before TKA. However, additional studies are needed to clarify the risk of PJI after TKA implantation between 3 and 6 months after the last corticoid injection

As the intervertebral disc is largely avascular, needle injection is the most practical method for delivery of therapeutic agents used in treatments for degenerative disc disease. Intradiscal pressure increases during injection, and insufficient recovery time prior to needle retraction may result in injectate leakage. In order to determine the maximum pressure and post-injection recovery time for a given injection volume and rate, an analytical model of intradiscal injection was developed and calibrated experimentally. A governing equation was derived defining intradiscal pressure as a function of effective permeability, initial elastic stiffness, nonlinear stiffness term, and injection rate. The equation was solved using a fourth order Runge-Kutta routine with a 0.05s time step and a ramp-dwell injection. The model was calibrated by performing controlled intradiscal injections on five bovine caudal intervertebral discs. Three had adjacent vertebrae intact, while two were separated from vertebrae and constrained between porous stainless steel platens. A syringe driven by a linear actuator was used to inject phosphate buffered saline through a 21g hypodermic needle inserted radially into the disc to a depth of one half of the disc diameter. Injection was performed at a rate of 75μL/s to a volume of 250μL followed by a 240s dwell. Fluid pressure was recorded during both the injection phase and subsequent recovery phase. For each experimental pressure vs time trace, model parameters were varied in order to obtain an optimal fit. The model was run with the average parameter values across a grid of possible injection protocols, with injection volume ranging from 30 to 300μL and injection time ranging from 0.1 to 5s. For each case, peak pressure and time required to reach a 1kPa threshold were recorded. Experimentally measured peak pressure ranged from 68 to 88kPa. Pressure at the end of the 240s dwell ranged from 49 to 69kPa. There was no apparent difference between discs with and without endplates. Leakage of fluid following needle retraction was observed in all specimens. Experimental data were well fit by the analytical model, which predicted higher peak pressure and longer recovery time with increasing volume, from approximately 1500s at 30μL to nearly 3000s at 300μL. The model was nearly insensitive to injection rate. The experimental data confirm pressurization of the disc during injection and injectate leakage resulting from insufficient recovery time. The model predicts that the time required to recover to below threshold leakage pressure is impractically long for both laboratory and clinical injection protocols. Similar behavior with and without endplates confirms that fluid flow is limited by permeability of the tissue itself, not the boundary conditions. Slow recovery is likely attributable to the fact that peak injection pressures were lower than the hydraulic swelling pressure of the nucleus pulposus, which has been reported to be approximately 140kPa. Due to the high swelling pressure of the nucleus pulposus, it is unlikely that intradiscal injection procedures can be performed without substantial injectate leakage following needle retraction

Interscalene brachial plexus block is the standard regional analgesic technique for shoulder surgery. Given its adverse effects, alternative techniques have been explored. Reports suggest that the erector spinae plane block may potentially provide effective analgesia following shoulder surgery. However, its analgesic efficacy for shoulder surgery compared with placebo or local anaesthetic infiltration has never been established. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to compare the analgesic efficacy of pre-operative T2 erector spinae plane block with peri-articular infiltration at the end of surgery. Sixty-two patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder repair were randomly assigned to receive active erector spinae plane block with saline peri-articular injection (n = 31) or active peri-articular injection with saline erector spinae plane block (n = 31) in a blinded double-dummy design. Primary outcome was resting pain score in recovery. Secondary outcomes included pain scores with movement; opioid use; patient satisfaction; adverse effects in hospital; and outcomes at 24 h and 1 month. There was no difference in pain scores in recovery, with a median difference (95%CI) of 0.6 (-1.9-3.1), p = 0.65. Median postoperative oral morphine equivalent utilisation was significantly higher in the erector spinae plane group (21 mg vs. 12 mg; p = 0.028). Itching was observed in 10% of patients who received erector spinae plane block and there was no difference in the incidence of significant nausea and vomiting. Patient satisfaction scores, and pain scores and opioid use at 24 h were similar. At 1 month, six (peri-articular injection) and eight (erector spinae plane block) patients reported persistent pain. Erector spinae plane block was not superior to peri-articular injection for arthroscopic shoulder surgery

Surgeon-performed periarticular injection and anesthesiologist-performed femoral nerve or adductor canal block with local anesthetic have been used in multimodal pain management for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. Anesthesiologist-performed adductor canal blocks are costly, time consuming, and may be unreliable. We investigated the feasibility of a surgeon-performed saphenous nerve (“adductor-canal”) block from within the knee joint. A retrospective analysis of 94 thigh-knee MRI studies was performed to determine the relationship between the width of the distal femur at the epicondylar axis and the proximal location of the saphenous nerve after its exit from the adductor canal and separation from the superficial femoral artery. After obtaining these data, TKA resections and trial component implantation were performed, using a medial parapatellar approach, in 11 fresh cadaveric lower extremity specimens. Using a blunt tip 1.5cm needle, we injected 10 ml each of two different colored solutions at two different intra-articular medial injection locations, and after 30 minutes, dissected the femoral and saphenous nerve and femoral artery from the hip to the knee to determine the location of the injections. Based upon the MRI analysis, the saphenous nerve was located (and had exited the adductor canal) at a mean of 1.5 times the epicondylar width in females, and mean 1.3 times the epicondylar width in males, proximal to the medial epicondyle. After placement of TKA trial components and injection, the proximal injection site solution bathed the saphenous nerve in 8 of 11 specimens. The proximal blunt needle and solution was adjacent, but did not puncture, the femoral artery and vein in only one specimen. This study suggests that a surgeon-performed injection of the saphenous nerve from within the knee is a feasible procedure. This technique may be a useful alternative to ultrasound guided block. A trial comparing surgeon and anesthesiologist-performed nerve block should be considered to determine the clinical efficacy of this procedure. Our anecdotal use of this intra-articular injection over the past year has been favorable. Newer, extended release anesthetic agents should be investigated with this technique

To compare the efficacy of local steroid injection with surgical decompression in treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in terms of frequency of pain. This randomized controlled study was conducted at the Department of Orthopaedics for a duration of 01 year, i.e. from 20th April 2016 to 19th April 2017. 130 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome with moderate (Grade 2) and severe (Grade 3) pain were included. Lottery method was used to allocate the patients randomly into two groups. Group A contained 65 patients who were subjected to surgical decompression and 65 patients were in Group B who were injected with local steroid injection. Complete history was obtained from all patients. All the surgical decompressions through mini incision technique and injections procedures were performed. Information were recorded in a pre designed Performa. Efficacy was observed significantly high in group B as compared to group A (87.7% vs. 72.3%, p=0.028). Carpal Tunnel syndrome symptoms were alleviated with surgical decompression as well as local steroid injection at a follow up done after 1 month. However the steroid injections seem to have greater efficacy than surgical decompression, hence we suggest it for routine treatment of all patients with CTS. For any reader queries, please contact . virgo_r24@hotmail.com

Introduction. Treatment of non-union in open tibial fractures Gustilo-Anderson(GA)-3A/3B fractures remains a challenging problem. Most of these can be dealt using treatment methods that requires excision of the non-union followed by bone grafting, masquelet technique, or acute shortening. Circular fixators with closed distraction or bone transport also remains a useful option. However, sometimes due to patient specific factors these cannot be used. Recently antibiotic loaded bone substitutes have been increasingly used for repairing infected non-unions. They provide local antibiotic delivery, fill dead space, and act as a bone conductive implant, which is resorted at the end of a few months. We aimed to assess the outcome of percutaneous injection of bone substitute while treating non-union of complex open tibial fractures. Materials & Methods. Three cases of clinical and radiological stiff tibial non-union requiring further intervention were identified from our major trauma open fracture database. Two GA-3B cases, treated with a circular frame developed fracture-related-infection(FRI) manifesting as local cellulitis, loosened infected wires/pins with raised blood-markers, and one case of GA-3A treated with an intramedullary nail. At the time of removal of metalwork/frame, informed consent was obtained and Cerament-G. TM. (bone-substitute with gentamicin) was percutaneously injected through a small cortical window using a bone biopsy(Jamshedi needle). All patients were allowed to weight bear as tolerated in a well-fitting air-cast boot and using crutches. They were followed up at 6 weekly intervals with clinical assessment of their symptoms and radiographs. Fracture union was assessed using serial radiographs with healing defined as filling of fracture gap, bridging callus and clinical assessment including return to full painless weight bearing. Results. Follow-up at 6 months showed all fractures had healed with no defect or gaps with evidence of new trabecular bone and significant resorption of Cerament-G. TM. at final follow-up. There was no evidence of residual infection with restoration of normal limb function. Fractures with no internal fixation showed a mild deformity that had developed during the course of the healing, presumed due to mild collapse in the absence of fixation. These were less than 10 degrees in sagittal and coronal planes and were clinically felt to be insignificant by the patients. Conclusions. Cerament-G's unique combination of high dose antibiotics and hydroxy apatite matrix provided by calcium sulphate might help provide an osteoconductive environment to allow these stiff non-unions to heal. The matrix appears to provide a scaffold-like structure that allows new bone in-growth with local release of antibiotics helping reduce deep-seated infections. The final deformation at fracture site underlines the need for fixation- and it is very unlikely that this technique will work in mobile nonunions. Whilst similar fractures may heal without the use of bone substitute injections, the speed of healing in presence of significant fracture gap suggests the use of these bone substitutes did help in our cases. Further studies with a larger cohort, including RCTs, to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique compared to other methods are needed

Introduction. Peri-articular local anesthetic injections reduce post-operative pain in total knee arthroplasty and assist recovery. It is inconclusive whether intra-operative injection of peri-articular morphine is locally effective. The aim of this study is whether the addition of morphine to peri-articular injections in only unilateral knee improves post-operative pain, range of motion, swelling in patients with simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty. Materials and Methods. A prospective single-center double-blinded randomized controlled trial was undertaken to assess the local efficacy of adding morphine to intra-operative, peri-articular anesthesia in simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty. Twenty eight patients with 56 TKAs were randomly divided into 2 groups, unilateral TKA with intraoperative peri-articular injection with adding morphine and the other side TKA without adding morphine. The morphine group received an intraoperative, peri-articular injection of local anesthetic (Ropivacaine 150mg), epinephrine (50μg), ketoprofen (25mg) and methylpredonisolone sodium (20mg) plus 0.1mg/kg of morphine. The no-morphine group received the same amount of local anesthetic, epinephrine, ketoprofen and methylpredonisolone sodium without morphine. The operating surgeon, operating staff, patients, physiotherapists, ward nursing staff and data collectors remained blinded for the duration of study. All surgeries were performed by the same operating team. A standard medial parapatellar approach was used in all operations. Post-operative analgesia was standardized to all participants with celecoxib daily for 3 weeks. Primary outcomes included visual analog pain scores (VAS), ROM and swelling of the thigh. Secondary outcomes included WOMAC and adverse outcomes. Result. There were no significant differences between two groups for pre-operative ROM, pre-operative pain VAS or the circumference of the thigh. There were no statistically significant differences in primary and secondary outcomes between two groups (Figure 1, 2, 3). Discussion. Multiple studies have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of multimodal peri-articular injection of analgesics in TKA for pain relief. However, the opioids often lead to nausea as an adverse effect, which is reported from 25% to 56%. The mechanism of pain relief by morphine is mainly the efficacy through the opioid receptor in central nerve system, and the other mechanism through local opioid receptor (μ-receptor) is rarely revealed for pain relief. Our study used morphine in unilateral TKA and no-morphine in the other side TKA and showed no significant difference in primary and secondary outcomes. These results revealed that the efficacy for pain relief in peri-articular injection without morphine is the same as that in no-morphine group. In conclusion, adding morphine in peri-articular injection could not be locally effective for pain relief

To study in resolution of triggering 12 months after injection with either a soluble methylprednisolone acetate or dexamethasone for idiopathic trigger finger. Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing methylprednisolone acetate and dexamethasone injection for idiopathic trigger finger. Twenty-seven patients completed the 6-week follow-up (11 methylprednisolone acetate arm, 16 dexamethasone arm) and thirteen patients completed the 3-month follow-up (4 methylprednisolone acetate arm, 9 dexamethasone arm). Outcome measures included resolution of triggering, recurrence rate of trigger finger, satisfaction on a visual analog scale, tender, snapping, locking, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and tip to palm distance (mm.) at 2, 6, 12 and 24 weeks follow-up. Eight patients were repeated a second injection (3 methylprednisolone acetate arm, 5 dexamethasone arm) at 6-week follow-up. To preserve autonomy, patients were permitted operative treatment any time. The analysis was according to intention to treat principles. Six weeks after injection. Absence of triggering was documented in 6 of 11 patients in the methylprednisolone cohort and in 6 of 16 patients in the dexamethasone cohort. The rate 3-month after injection were 2 of 4 patients in the methylprednisolone cohort and in 8 of 9 patients in the dexamethasone cohort. There were no significant difference between recurrence rate of trigger finger, satisfaction on a visual analog scale, tender, snapping, locking, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores and tip to palm distance (mm.) at 2, 6, 12 and 24 weeks follow-up. Although there were no differences 3months after injection, our data suggest that in the dexamethasone cohort was better in resolution of triggering than the methylprednisolone cohort at 12-week follow-up

The trapeziometacarpal joint (TMJ) is the most commonly involved arthritic joint in the hand and is often injected in the outpatient setting. This study assesses the accuracy of TMJ injections. Six pairs of thawed, fresh-frozen cadaveric upper limbs were placed in the anatomic position. The limbs were randomized to be injected by one of two clinicians (a senior and a junior orthopaedic trainee). The TMJ of these specimens was palpated and injected with 0.5mls aqueous jelly dyed with methylene blue. An independent investigator dissected the specimens and the location of the dye was recorded. A Posterior-Anterior radiograph was then taken to assess the bony anatomy of the joint and graded according to Eaton's classification. Dye was found inside the joint capsule in 10 (83%) of the 12 specimens. Using Fishers Exact test no significant difference was found between the 2 injectors (p=0.46). The 2 joints where the dye was extra-articular had grade III and IV arthritis, whereas all other joints were graded I. This study shows that good accuracy of TMJ injection can be achieved using palpation in the earlier stages of TMJ arthritis, when surface anatomy is accurate enough for an intra-articular injection. This is also when synovitis is more prevalent and injections are more relevant. However the failure rate of injections increases as the disease advances

There has been a widespread appreciation on the part of both patients and surgeons that pain control following total knee replacement is an important goal. The concepts of both preemptive analgesia and multimodal pain protocols have become increasingly popular. In addition to these ideas, surgeons continue to utilise adjunctive treatments such as peripheral nerve blocks and periarticular injections. Multiple studies demonstrate the efficacy of these therapies. Several authors have published different “cocktails” for their periarticular injections in an attempt to help delineate which components of the cocktail are most important. In addition to deciding on a correct cocktail, how it is delivered is important. This video will demonstrate a technique that increases the likelihood that the injected solution is placed in the appropriate areas and does not simply bath the tissues. Important components of the technique include the use of a small gauge needle (22) and a control syringe to insure proper placement as well as an aim to target the injections into the periosteum of the femur and tibia and the posterior capsule primarily

Introduction. There are conflicting reports about the efficacy of injection to the thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) for osteoarthritis (OA). The accuracy of joint injection without radiological control is unclear. We investigated the accuracy of blind injection and recorded their immediate and short term efficacy. Materials/Methods. We injected 25 consecutive patients between March 2010-January 2011. The CMCJ was palpated, manually distracted and a 23 gauze needle introduced blindly. Image intensifier was then used to visualize and redirect needle if necessary. Radio-opaque dye was injected to confirm intra-articular placement. We recorded patient demographics, number of attempts required for correct needle placement, pre and 10 minutes post-injection visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, and Nelson Score (NS)before and six weeks after injection. NS is a validated thumb CMCJ specific patient administered questionnaire. Results. Mean age was 60 (range 46–90). M:F ratio was 23:2. CMC J OA ranged from grade 2–4.1. st. attempt was successful in 6 cases. Mean attempts required for accurate injection was 3 (range 0–4). Mean pain pre- injection VAS was 7 (range 4–10), 10 minutes following injection 0.5 (range 0–4) and at 6 weeks 5 (range 3–10). Mean pre-operative NS was 29.6 (range 14–65) and at 6 weeks 32.4 (range 14–55). The difference was not statistically significant (paired t test, p=0.24). Conclusion. Our results suggest that blind injection of thumb CMCJ may not be accurate. Accuracy can be improved by X-ray guided injection. The procedure afforded excellent immediate pain relief but was not effective over six weeks follow up

Background. Evidence from recent trials has supported the efficacy of periarticular analgesic injection for pain control following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, no randomized controlled trial has compared the efficacy of periarticular analgesic injection with that of other regimens for simultaneous bilateral TKA. Methods. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in which patients scheduled for simultaneous bilateral TKA were randomly assigned to receive periarticular analgesic injection or epidural analgesia. In the periarticular analgesic injection group, the injection contained 7.5 mg/ml ropivacaine 40 ml, 10 mg/ml morphine hydrochloride hydrate 1.0 ml, 1.0 mg/ml epinephrine 0.6 ml, methylprednisolone 80 mg, and ketoprofen 50 mg. These agents were mixed with normal saline to a combined volume of 120 ml. The 60 ml of the cocktail was injected into each knee. In the epidural analgesia group, the catheter was placed at the L2–3 or L3–4 level, and connected to an infusion pump delivering continuous infusion (flow rate: 4 ml/h) of 100 ml of 2 mg/ml ropivacaine plus 1.0 ml of 10 mg/ml morphine hydrochloride hydrate. Surgery was managed under spinal anaesthesia. Surgical techniques and postoperative medication protocols were identical in both groups. The primary endpoint was postoperative pain at rest, quantified as the area under the curve (AUC) of the score on a visual analogue scale. Results. Seventy-one patients with 142 knees were randomly assigned to receive periarticular analgesic injection or epidural analgesia. The flow chart presented in Figure 1 outlines the trial. The periarticular analgesic injection group had a significantly lower AUC at 4–24 hour compared with the epidural analgesia group (174.9 ± 181.5 versus 360.4 ± 360.6; p = 0.0073), while no difference in the AUC was noted at 24–72 hour (1388.1 ± 727.2 versus 1467.3 ± 810.1; p = 0.67). The consumption of diclofenac sodium suppositories as rescue analgesia was significantly lower in the periarticular analgesic injection group than in the epidural analgesia group on the night of surgery (0.16 ± 0.4 versus 0.70 ± 0.9; p = 0.0013). The incidence of nausea on the night of surgery and postoperative day 1 and that of pruritus were significantly lower in the periarticular analgesic injection group than in the epidural analgesia group (7.4 % versus 45.5 %; p = 0.0031, 7.4 % versus 54.5 %; P = 0.0003, and 0 % versus 15.2 %; p = 0.014, respectively). Conclusions. Compared with epidural analgesia, periarticular analgesic injection following simultaneous bilateral TKA was associated with better postoperative pain relief and decreased opioid-related side-effects. Periarticular analgesic injection is preferable to epidural analgesia for postoperative pain relief after simultaneous bilateral TKA

The aim of this study is to assess the long-term results of Ethibloc (Ethnor Laboratories/ Ethicon, Norderstedt, Germany) injection in aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC). 33 patients with aneurysmal bone cysts were treated with computed tomographic (C.T) guided percutaneous injection of Ethibloc into the cyst cavity. 22 patients had Ethibloc injection as primary treatment and 11 patients had presented to us with recurrence following previous procedures including steroid injection, bone marrow injection, curettage bone grafting and various other surgical procedures. The mean follow-up was 54 (22-90) months. Symptoms were relieved in all patients. 2 patients were lost to follow up. 18 (58%) of the 31 patients followed, had complete resolution of the lesion, 11 (35.5%) patients had partial healing (asymptomatic residual non progressive lytic areas). 2 (6.5%) patients showed recurrence in the proximal humerus during the follow-up. They are under follow-up but asymptomatic. 2 patients encountered more significant complications after the procedure. Ethibloc injection is a relatively simple, minimally invasive alternative procedure for the treatment of ABC, and makes open operation unnecessary by stopping the expansion of the cyst and inducing endosteal new bone formation. This technique may be used as the primary management of ABCs excluding spinal lesions as shown by this long-term follow-up study

Aims. To assess the accuracy of posterior and anterolateral methods of injection into the subacromial space (SAS) of the shoulder. Patients and methods. Ethical approval was obtained and 50 patients (23 women and 27 men) with mean age of 64.5 years (42-87 years) and clinical diagnosis of subacromial impingement were recruited. Patients with old or recent shoulder fracture, bleeding disorders, and allergy to iodine were excluded. All injections were given by the consultant or an experienced registrar after obtaining informed consent. Patients were randomised into posterior and anterolateral groups and the method of injection was revealed by opening sealed envelopes just before the injection. A combination of 3mls 0.5% bupivacaine and 2mls of radiographic dye (Niopam) was injected in the subacromial space (SAS) using either anterolateral (n-22) and posterior approaches (28). AP and lateral radiographs of shoulder were taken after injection and were reported by a Consultant Radiologist blinded to the method of injection. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Constant-Murley shoulder score was used to assess pain and function respectively. Both scores were determined before and 30 minutes after the injection. Results. 22 injections (78.5%) were accurately placed in SAS with the posterior approach and in 14 patients (63.6%) with anterolateral approach. This difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). Only patients who received injection accurately in SAS with either method had a reduction in pain of an average of 4 points on VAS, and improvement in the Constant score of average 14 points. Conclusions. The posterior approach of SAS injection is more accurate than anterolateral approach. Injections that are correctly placed in the SAS lead to better reduction of pain and improvement in the Constant score

Background. Steroid injections can be used safely to treat trigger fingers. We aimed to determine the accuracy of referring General Practitioner (GP) diagnoses of trigger finger made to an upper limb surgeon. We also aimed to determine the efficacy of a serial two steroid injection then surgery technique in the management of trigger fingers. Methods. Data was collected prospectively from a “one-stop” trigger finger clinic (based in a district general hospital). 200 trigger fingers identified from September 2005 to November 2008, giving a minimum 1 year follow-up. Data was analysed for correct referring diagnosis, resolution/recurrence rate following injection and the effect of age, injector grade, diabetes on the rate of recurrence. Results. GP diagnoses were correct in 94% of referrals. Recurrence free resolution after one steroid injection was achieved in 74% of cases, rising to 84% after a second injection. The grade of injector did not influence the rate of resolution (p=0.967) or recurrence (p=0.818). Age was the only statistically significant factor, with recurrences being 8.3 years younger (95% CI 4.1–12.6 yrs; p=0.0002). 15% required surgical release after failure of two steroid injections. Conclusions. Steroid injection for trigger finger is a safe, easily performed technique that can give recurrence free resolution in up to 84% using a serial two steroid injection technique. This is an easily acquired technique that has obvious potential to be performed in the primary care setting, thus reducing the burden on hospital based specialist upper limb services, as only 15% required surgical intervention

Introduction. The conservative management of Sub-Acromial Impingement Syndrome (SAIS) of the shoulder includes both physiotherapy treatment and subacromial injection with local anaesthetic and steroids. The outcome from injection treatment has rarely been evaluated scientifically. Methods. Patients attending a designated shoulder clinic and diagnosed by an experienced shoulder surgeon as having a SAIS between January 2009 and December 2011 were considered for inclusion in the study. 67 of 86 patients screened completed the study (3 did not meet inclusion criteria; 9 declined to participate; 3 lost to follow-up; 4 developed frozen shoulder syndrome). Each patient had a pre-injection Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and was given one subacromial injection of 10ml 0.25% levobupivacaine(Chirocaine) + 40 mg triamcinolone(Kenalog) through the posterior route. Radiograph imaging was also assessed. Follow-up was carried out at 6 to 12 weeks post injection when OSS was repeated. A 6 month follow-up assessment to assess if the patient's improvement in functionality and absence of symptoms indicated that a subacromial decompression operation was not necessary. The percentage of patients showing improvement in OSS was calculated and the difference in OSS pre- and post-injection assessed using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. Results. The median OSS pre-injection was 29 (range 2–43) and post-injection was 40 (range 2–48) (p=< 0.001; z=−6.0; r=−0.5). 45/69 (71%) of patients benefited significantly from subacromial injection at 6 to 12 weeks post-injection. However only 28/53 (53%) benefited significantly from injection by 6 months post-injection. These results support the continued use of sub-acromial corticosteroid injections in the treatment of SAIS. 31% of these patients were subsequently treated with an arthroscopic subacromial decompression operation. Previous injection history had no impact on the results. Conclusions. We recommend that all patients with SAIS should be offered at least one subacromial injection before being considered for an arthroscopic subacromial decompression operation

Aim. The purpose of the study was to assess the safety of Intra-articular steroid hip injections (IASHI), prior to ipsilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA). Method. We investigated whether there was an excess of infection in such a group 7–10 years after total hip arthroplasty. A database of 49 patients who had undergone IASHI followed by ipsilateral THA was reviewed. Results. The mean length of time between injection and arthroplasty was 12.1 months (5.1–19 months). We found 7 major complications. Ten patients died with no further hip surgery at a mean of 28 months from surgery; 3 were lost to follow-up. The remaining group (36) were contacted by telephone at a mean of 97.8 (85–117) months from their surgery. No objective signs of joint infection were found. Conclusion. We believe our results show that ipsilateral steroid injection does not confer an increased risk of complications following subsequent THA, over an extended follow up