Extended-release triamcinolone provides prolonged relief for patients who failed standard corticosteroid injection for knee osteoarthritis; a pragmatic retrospective study.

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.