Steroid injections may be less useful for people with more severe knee osteoarthritis

People with more severe knee damage from osteoarthritis may be less likely to respond to steroid injections, according to a recent analysis in Arthritis Research and Therapy.

A total of 188 people with varying degrees of knee osteoarthritis were given steroid injections in one of their knees.

Those who had greater knee damage as measured in MRI scans and X-rays, increased joint space narrowing and high scores on other measures of osteoarthritis were less likely to respond to steroid injections after six months.

The research group concludes:

“Compared with those who have mild structural damage, persons with more severe knee damage on either MRI or x-ray are less likely to respond to knee intra-articular steroid injections.”

Click here to read the original research.

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