Medium-term outcome following intra-articular corticosteroid injection in first CMC joint arthritis using fluoroscopy

First carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis (1(st) CMCJ OA) is a common condition with variable results reported from local corticosteroid injection. This study aims to explore the medium-term outcome with respect to pain relief, patient satisfaction and the need for subsequent surgical intervention. A prospective review was performed of patients undergoing fluoroscopically guided corticosteroid injection by one surgeon, with postal questionnaires for medium-term follow-up. Forty-one patients were included. Thirty-one were female and ten male, with a mean age of 60 years. In the short term 76% of patients reported pain relief with an average duration of four weeks and 69% of the patients reported benefit from injection. After a median follow-up of 36 months 76% of patients reported continuing pain but 59% reported satisfaction with the outcome. Twenty-eight per cent of the patients had undergone surgery. Local corticosteroid injection of the CMCJ provides only short-term pain relief, but few patients go on to surgical intervention.