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Updated: Mar 31, 2026
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Knee Arthrocentesis in Adults
Published on: February 25, 2022
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Intra-articular corticosteroid for knee osteoarthritis
Peter Jüni1, Roman Hari, Anne W S Rutjes
1Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Gesellschaftsstrasse 49, Bern, Switzerland, 3012.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|October 23, 2015
Summary
Intra-articular corticosteroids may offer short-term pain relief for knee osteoarthritis, but evidence is limited by low-quality studies. Benefits diminish over time, with no significant long-term effects observed.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Orthopedics
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of pain and disability.
- Intra-articular corticosteroids are commonly used for knee OA, but their efficacy and safety are debated.
- This review updates previous findings on corticosteroid injections for knee OA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the benefits and harms of intra-articular corticosteroids versus placebo or no treatment for knee OA.
- To assess effects on pain, physical function, quality of life, and safety outcomes.
- To analyze findings based on follow-up duration and trial characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs.
- Searched multiple databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE) up to February 2015.
- Calculated standardized mean differences (SMDs) and risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Main Results:
- Low-quality evidence suggests short-term benefits for pain (SMD -0.40) and function (SMD -0.33), diminishing by 26 weeks.
- Considerable heterogeneity and risk of bias were noted across trials.
- No significant effect on quality of life or joint space narrowing; safety outcomes were inconclusive.
Conclusions:
- Clinical benefits of intra-articular corticosteroids for knee OA remain uncertain due to low evidence quality and heterogeneity.
- Effects appear to decrease over time, with no evidence of benefit at six months.
- Most included trials were small and of low methodological quality.
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