Steroids are synthetic drugs that work by decreasing inflammation and reducing the activity of the immune system. In the medical field, they are used to treat an array of inflammatory diseases and disorders. However, when doctors give steroids by mouth or intravenously, they cannot guarantee that enough of the steroid will reach the area of the body that is causing pain or discomfort. For that reason, we here at KCBJ offer ultrasound guided injections to help ensure that the medication is delivered to the problem area at hand, increasing the efficacy of the injection.
Corticosteroid (cortisone) injections are used for treating many orthopedic issues including arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis. Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory medication, not a painkiller. Consequently, by lessening inflammation, pain tends to decrease substantially. If a joint is moderately or severely arthritic, a cortisone injection may bring the patient interim relief.
When getting an injection, the relief is almost instantaneous since the cortisone is usually mixed with an anesthetic (numbing) agent. The injection begins to decrease inflammation within a few hours with the relief usually lasts from several weeks to several months. This conservative approach is beneficial for patients that want an alternative to surgery.
Dr. Jeffrey W. Salin, along side his team, Aaron Smith, PA-C and Stephen Payne, APRN, provide intraarticular cortisone injections for patients with hip osteoarthritis.
In the lower extremity, ultrasound-guided injections for hip osteoarthritis have superior efficacy to landmark-guided injections. Ultrasonography is a valuable tool as it it is a repeatable, non-invasive imaging modality that can provide real-time dynamic tissue assessment. This technique has become more broadly used in medicine during procedures to assist with needle guidance and to visualize nearby structures, thereby decreasing risk of injury to adjacent structures.
According to a study done at the Department of Family Community Medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, landmark-guided hip joint injections demonstrated an accuracy of 66.7-77.5%, whereas studies of ultrasound-guided injections have reported 100% accuracy.
There are various facilities in the metro that offer fluoroscopic guided hip injections. However, this tool exposes the patient to radiation and over time with repetition, there can be long term effects. Overall, ultrasound guided cortisone injections are very safe to perform repeatedly, and the side effects tend to be rare and minor. The only restriction following these injections is that the patient cannot submerge the injection site underwater for 24 hours.
In addition to improved efficacy and accuracy, the ultrasound guided injections done at KCBJ are offered at a reduced price compared to having them done at an imaging facility or a hospital. You are not responsible for any facility fees, and the medical billing code for ultrasound guidance is much more cost efficient than the use of a fluoroscope, which is the tool that an imaging facility or hospital would use. Doing the injection at KCBJ has the potential to save the patient hundreds of dollars!
Written by Caleb Garde, ATC
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5826008/
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007633.htm
https://www.medicinenet.com/cortisone_injection/article.htm
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