In recent years, intra-articular injection into the hip has become the cornerstone of the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions of the joint. This injection is used not only for diagnostic but also for therapeutic purposes.
In the past, a number of objections have been raised about when a forthcoming hip arthroscopy should be carried out after an intra-articular injection, and whether this carries a risk of complications for the patient.
In order to answer this question, a study was carried out involving 500 patients who had an intra-articular steroid injection into the hip and who subsequently underwent hip arthroscopy. The patients’ mean age was 37.6 years (range 14 to 74), with 112 male and 388 female patients. The mean time between the injection and the arthroscopy was 59 days (range 15 to 92). There were no postoperative complications.
The authors concluded that when both the injections and the hip arthroscopy are carried out in specialist centres, hip arthroscopy performed three months after an intra-articular injection carries no risk for the patient.
Source: “JBJS, August 2019