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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
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Micro-Computed Tomography Analysis of the Knee in Aged Dunkin-Hartley Guinea Pigs after Intra Articular Injection
Published on: August 2, 2024
Sonographically guided proximal tibiofibular joint injection: technique and accuracy.
Jay Smith1, Jonathan T Finnoff, Bruce A Levy
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. smith.jay@mayo.edu
Summary
Sonographic guidance accurately injected the proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) in 100% of cadaver cases, significantly outperforming palpation guidance (58%). This suggests ultrasound is superior for PTFJ injections.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Radiology
- Anatomy
Background:
- The proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) is an important structure for knee stability.
- Accurate injections into the PTFJ are crucial for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
- Palpation-guided injections may lack precision, potentially leading to suboptimal outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a technique for sonographically guided PTFJ injections.
- To compare the accuracy of sonographically guided injections versus palpation-guided injections in a cadaver model.
Main Methods:
- 12 sonographically guided and 12 palpation-guided PTFJ injections were performed in unembalmed cadavers using colored latex.
- Injections were randomized, and specimens were dissected by blinded investigators.
- Accuracy was graded based on latex placement within the PTFJ.
Main Results:
- Sonographic guidance achieved 100% accuracy in placing latex within the PTFJ.
- Palpation guidance resulted in only 58% accuracy (P = .01).
- Inaccurate palpation injections were typically superficial and inferior to the target joint.
Conclusions:
- Sonographic guidance offers a highly accurate method for PTFJ injections.
- Ultrasound guidance should be considered superior to palpation for PTFJ injections.
- Clinicians may benefit from using sonographic guidance for PTFJ injections when indicated.
