Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Identify if extended-release triamcinolone has a longer duration of action in a cohort of patients who have had limited duration of relief from prior corticosteroid injection. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of patients with knee osteoarthritis. SETTING: Academic outpatient musculoskeletal practice. SUBJECTS: One hundred and fifty patients (age 67.5 ± 13.7, 68.2% female) with knee osteoarthritis who had subjectively insufficient relief from a standard corticosteroid injection. METHODS: Ultrasound-guided knee injections of extended-release triamcinolone were administered to all patients by experienced practitioners. The primary outcome measure was comparative duration of subjective relief from extended-release triamcinolone, compared to the patients' duration from their prior standard corticosteroid injection. The secondary outcome was the duration of relief from extended-release triamcinolone. RESULTS: Patients reported 7.1 ± 8.7 additional weeks of relief from extended-release triamcinolone (t = 6.50, p < 0.001), with lower Kellgren-Lawrence score being the only factor associated with increased comparative duration of relief (B = -2.39, p = 0.042). No factors were associated with duration of pain relief from extended-release triamcinolone. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study suggests that injection of extended-release triamcinolone is associated with prolonged pain relief in patients who have had insufficient duration of pain relief from a standard corticosteroid injection. Those with lower Kellgren-Lawrence grades were more likely to have an increased comparative duration of relief.