Effect of triamcinolone acetonide injections compare to hyaluronic acid and NaCl injections

Subacromial triamcinolone acetonide, hyaluronic acid and saline injections for shoulder pain an RCT investigating the effectiveness in the first days

Article specifications

This clinical trial was published in 2005 in journal of BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (IF2005: 1.73) by Dutch specialists. In this study the effect of triamcinolone acetonide injections compared to hyaluronic acid and NaCl injections using a pain diary. 159 Patients recruited for an RCT comparing the effect of subacromial injections of triamcinolone acetonide, hyaluronic acid and sodium chloride (NaCl) were used in this study. They were blinded for their treatment and could receive up to three injections.

 

Results

In the first week after injection of triamcinolone acetonide we could show a fast reduction in pain. After the second injection we could show a limited booster effect of repeated triamcinolone acetonide injection. We were able to graphically show this booster effect of fast reduction in pain after the triamcinolone acetonide injection by displaying the patient perceived pain on a VAS score in the days after injection. Given the limited effect in pain reduction after the third triamcinolone acetonide injection there might be evidence to reduce the total number of repeated triamcinolone acetonide injections to two injections. Compared to Hyaluronic acid and NaCl injections, triamcinolone acetonide injections showed a fast and effective reduction in pain on a VAS score already after a limited number of injections.