Soft tissue injections

Soft tissue rheumatism includes a wide spectrum of common lesions of the tendons, enthesis, tendon sheaths, bursae, ligaments and fasciae as well as nerve compression syndromes. Studies on the pathogenesis of these lesions do not support a major role for inflammation, thus questioning the rationale for glucocorticoid injections. This chapter reviews current indications for local glucocorticoid injections and available evidence on its efficacy, as well as contraindications and potential risks. Randomised controlled studies of good methodological quality are rare and there is limited scientific evidence to support the superiority of glucocorticoid injections over alternative treatments. The basic principles of the glucocorticoid injection method are outlined, together with a description of the practical procedure for the more common conditions.