The Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Guided Steroid Injection for Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Comparison between the Extra-Articular and Intra-Articular Approaches.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of pain control using ultrasound-guided steroid injection by the extra-articular and intra-articular approaches to femoroacetabular impingement patients. Materials and Methods: From September through December 2010, 18 patients with clinical suspicion of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome underwent ultrasound-guided steroid and local anesthetics injection: a total of 20 cases, including 16 cases of ipsilateral and 2 cases of bilateral injection. Extra-articular or intraarticular approach was selected for each patient, randomly and alternately. Nine cases were performed by extra-articular approach and 11 cases were performed by intra-articular approach. Every patient was observed in the outpatient clinic and visual analogue scale (VAS) was taken and compared before and after the procedure in all patients. Results: De-injection average VAS value of extra-articular approached cases was 5.22 ± 1.99 and post-injection average VAS value was 4.11 ± 1.96, which is statistically insignificant (p < 0.156). The average VAS value of intra-articular approached cases was decreased from 5.72 ± 2.15 to 2.91 ± 2.30 after injection, which is statistically significant (p < 0.006). Conclusion: Ultrasound guided intra-articular approached steroid and local anesthetics injection could be effective in controlling pain for patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]