Subacromial triamcinolone mexacetonide and methylprednisolone injections in treatment of supra spinam tendinitis. A comparative trial.

This statistical report describes a clinical trial on 60 patients with supraspinal tendinitis for the comparison of triamcinolone hexacetonide (in a 20 mg/cc suspension in 1 cc ampoules) with methylprednisolone acetate (in a 40 mg/cc suspension in 1 cc ampoules). The objective of the study was to determine the therapeutic activity, including onset and duration of relief, of triamcinolone hexacetonide as a subacromial injection, and to compare these results with those obtained with similar injections of methylprednisolone acetate. The following results were obtained. Triamcinolone hexacetonide reduced pain, local tenderness and functional impairment to a greater degree than did methylprednisolone acetate. A significantly smaller proportion of patients needed a second injection of triamcinolone hexacetonide (33%) than needed a second injection of methylprednisolone acetate (63%). Triamcinolone hexacetonide appears to have longer duration of activity than does methyl-prednisolone acetate, judging by the percentage of patients still getting relief from their first injection at the end of the study period. The drugs were similar as regards side effect incidence rates and time to onset of action.