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Effectiveness of second corticosteroid injections for carpal tunnel syndrome
Author(s) -
Ashworth Nigel L.,
Bland Jeremy D.P.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.23725
Subject(s) - medicine , corticosteroid , carpal tunnel syndrome , wrist , sss* , cohort , carpal tunnel , median nerve , anesthesia , surgery
A single local corticosteroid injection is an effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. No study has specifically examined the effectiveness of a second injection on relapse after primary injection. Methods We identified a cohort of patients who had received an initial corticosteroid injection into 1 wrist and then, at a later date, a second injection into the same wrist. We compared the change in the Boston Symptom Severity Scale (SSS) and Functional Status Scale (FSS) between first and second injections. Results In 229 patients who received 2 injections the mean improvement on the SSS was 1.2 (SD = 0.8) for the first injection and 1.3 (SD = 0.9) for the second, which was not statistically significant. Improvement in FSS for the first injection was 0.4 (SD = 0.8) and 0.7 (SD = 0.8) for the second, which was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Conclusion Second corticosteroid injections appear to be at least as effective as the first. Muscle Nerve , 2013