Local anaesthetic injection with and without corticosteroids for subacromial impingement syndrome

Fifty patients with impingement syndrome refractory to long-term conservative treatment were randomized to three treatment groups. All patients received an injection of 10 ml 0.5% bupivacaine, in group 1 without corticosteroid, in group 2 with crystalline corticosteroid and in group 3 with lipoid corticosteroid. Treatment in group 1 had to be stopped because of inefficacy. In groups 2 and 3 favorable results were achieved in 19 out of 40 patients.