Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
Arthroscopic Management of Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: Whole Rotator Cable Reconstruction Using Proximal Biceps Tendon Autograft
Published on: June 6, 2025
Subacromial ultrasound guided or systemic steroid injection for rotator cuff disease: randomised double blind study
Ole M Ekeberg1, Erik Bautz-Holter, Einar K Tveitå
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ullevål University Hospital and Medical Faculty, University of Oslo, 0407 Oslo, Norway. o.m.ekeberg@medisin.uio.no
Objective:
To compare the effectiveness of ultrasound guided corticosteroid injection in the subacromial bursa with systemic corticosteroid injection in patients with rotator cuff disease.
Design:
Double blind randomised clinical trial.
Setting:
Outpatient clinic of a physical medicine and rehabilitation department in Oslo, Norway. Patients 106 patients with rotator cuff disease lasting at least three months.
Interventions:
Ultrasound guided corticosteroid and lidocaine injection in the subacromial bursa and lidocaine injection in the gluteal region (local group); corticosteroid and lidocaine injection in the gluteal region and ultrasound guided lidocaine injection in the subacromial bursa (systemic group).
Main Outcome Measures:
Difference in improvement in the overall shoulder pain and disability index score after six weeks.
Results:
Six weeks after the intervention, the mean difference in improvement in overall shoulder pain and disability index score between the local group and the systemic group was -5.2 (95% confidence interval -13.9 to 3.5); it was -4.1 (-12.3 to 4.1, P=0.32) after adjustment for baseline score. A small but statistically significant difference in improvement between groups occurred in favour of the local group for two secondary outcome measures: the Western Ontario rotator cuff index (8.1, 0.7 to 15.6) and change in main complaint (2.0, 0 to 4).
Conclusions:
No important differences in short term outcomes were found between local ultrasound guided corticosteroid injection and systemic corticosteroid injection in rotator cuff disease.
Trial Registration:
Clinical trials NCT00640575.
