Skip Navigation


Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on September 27, 2008
Rheumatology 2008 47(12):1792-1794; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ken355
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
47/12/1792    most recent
ken355v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lopes, R. V.
Right arrow Articles by Natour, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lopes, R. V.
Right arrow Articles by Natour, J.
Related Collections
Right arrow Rheumatoid Arthritis
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Accuracy of intra-articular injections in peripheral joints performed blindly in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

R. V. Lopes1, R. N. V. Furtado1, L. Parmigiani1, A. Rosenfeld2, A. R. C. Fernandes2 and J. Natour1

1Division of Rheumatology and 2Department of Radiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.

Correspondence to: J. Natour, Disciplina de Reumatologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 740, 04023-900 - São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail: jnatour{at}unifesp.br


  Abstract

Objectives. To assess the accuracy of blind IA injections (IAIs) in patients with RA and determine their effectiveness.

Methods. A controlled prospective study including 96 RA patients undergoing blind IAIs in peripheral joints was carried out. Clinical evaluation was performed at baseline (T0), 1 (T1) and 4 (T4) weeks after IAI using the following instruments: visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain at rest and movement, VAS for oedema (range 0–10 cm) and morning stiffness. Following IAI, radiographic exam was performed in all joints for further analysis by two ‘blinded’ radiologists. The {kappa}-statistic, chi-square and analysis of variance tests were performed to determine potential differences between time-points of evaluation. Significance level was set as P < 0.05.

Results. A total of 232 injections were performed. Accuracy observed for the shoulder, elbow, wrist, MCP joints, knee and ankle were 82, 100, 97, 97, 100 and 77%, respectively. A statistically significant improvement was observed for all variables at both T1 and T4 when compared with T0.

Conclusions. Blind IAI proved safe and accurate when performed by a trained professional. Significant improvement was seen in the VAS for pain at rest and during movement, VAS for oedema and morning stiffness.

KEY WORDS: Rheumatoid arthritis, Intra-articular injection, Arthritis, Corticosteroid, Injections, Accuracy

Submitted 5 February 2008; revised version accepted 30 July 2008.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.