[Intra-articular treatment of osteoarthrosis of the knee with betamethasone dipropionate and disodium phosphate. Non-controlled, open 5 years' experience].

We reviewed the result of treatment of knee osteoarthritis with intraarticular injection of betamethasone derivatives in 100 patients over a 5 year period. Knee involvement was bilateral in 34 of these patients. 1 ml of a mixture of betamethasone dipropionate and betamethasone phosphate was injected intraarticularly in each patient and repeated if needed at 3 week intervals. A total of 496 injections (mean 3.7 per knee, minimum 1 and maximum 18) were performed. Clinical and radiological evaluation before and midway through therapy revealed no side effects. The clinical response in terms of pain, mobility and functional capacity was good. We conclude that the therapy described results in good clinical and functional results over long periods of time in patients with knee osteoarthritis.