Does Injection Site Matter? A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate Efficacy of Knee Intraarticular Injections on Improval of Patient Reported Outcomes.
Does Injection Site Matter? A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate Efficacy of Knee Intraarticular Injections on Improval of Patient Reported Outcomes.
Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent orthopedic conditions worldwide. With the
 aging population, a 40% patient increase is expected to present at clinics with complaints of
 primary osteoarthritis by 2025. Multiple studies have attempted to establish non-surgical
 criteria for knee arthritis and usage of resources to avoid major surgery. It has long been
 accepted as a treatment option for patients who have failed to respond to NSAIDs and other
 non-surgical therapies to receive intra-articular injections of steroid and anesthesia
 mixtures to hold off disease progression.

 Various studies have compared different sites of injection and the accuracy rate of the
 injection being within the joint. Recent studies report a 66% accuracy on palpation-guided
 injection on the anterolateral knee, 93% accuracy on palpation-guided injection on the
 superolateral portal of the knee, and new studies show an improvement of up to 98% with use
 of ultrasound guiding software. However, in a health care system with limited resources,
 providing patients with US-guided injections represented an increased cost of $178.35 per
 patient as per 2010 Medicare reports.

 Therefore, assuming these accuracy rates, we will compare the anterolateral and superolateral
 portals for knee injection and their clinical effect to monitor if in fact there is a
 difference in patient reported outcomes. As a secondary analysis, if no difference is found,
 a strong case for palpation-guided injections versus ultrasound-guided injections can be
 made.

 In this study we will prospectively enroll 60 patients to be divided into two 30 patient
 groups with primary knee osteoarthritis. Patients that qualify as subjects will be treated
 with an intraarticular knee injection through an anterolateral portal or a suprapatellar
 portal as per group in which they are placed. Scores will be given for pain of the injection
 and of the baseline illness and compared on a subsequent visit to assess self-reported
 functional outcomes.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Inclusion criteria include Early osteoarthritis as per Brandt grades, persistent joint
 pain warranting a clinic visit, no previous injections given, significant pain in
 visual analog scale, failure of exercise and oral analgesics.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Exclusion criteria include advanced knee osteoarthritis, patients with bloody
 effusions, the use of warfarin or antiplatelet therapy, presence of any infection,
 patients with arthritis other than primary osteoarthritis, patients younger than age
 25 due to low likelihood of primary arthritis, pregnant females, diabetics with poor
 glucose control, and patients that have previously been injected in knee(s).