[Intra-articular injection therapy].

The author pays attention to intraarticular treatment of patients with articular affections in orthopaedics. He mentions briefly the pathophysiology of inflammatory rheumatic and degenerative articular affections, with the aim to draw attention to possible negative influences of intraarticular treatment. In two instances he describes cortisonoid arthropathy in one case the development of iatrogenic purulent arthritis. The author emphasizes that intraarticular injection therapy, in particular corticoid therapy, is therapeutical very effective. However, side-effects of preparations have to be considered, in particular the development of arthropathy and pyogenic arthritis. Intraarticular treatment should be administered only by a doctor familiar with the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the joint as well as with the pharmacological effect of the administered preparation in order to influence the pathological process without or with minimal side-effects. If intraarticular treatment fails, if there are indications of side-effects, it is important to seek further possibilities of conservative and in particular surgical treatment.