Injection therapy in Knee osteoarthritis
The results of some studies suggest that although the average cost of providing an initial course of physical therapy in knee osteoarthritis may be higher than an initial course of glucocorticoid injections, the greater improvement in quality-adjusted life-years and pain as well as reduction in functional disability may be worth the additional cost.
Glucocorticoid injections into the knee joint have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. These can be effective in improving pain, joint range of motion, and quality of life but the benefits of physical therapy outweigh these.
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Rhon DI, Kim M, Asche CV, Allison SC, Allen CS, Deyle GD. Cost-effectiveness of Physical Therapy vs Intra-articular Glucocorticoid Injection for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Secondary Analysis From a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1):e2142709. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.42709
Deyle GD, Allen CS, Allison SC, Gill NW, Hando BR, Petersen EJ, Dusenberry DI, Rhon DI. Physical Therapy versus Glucocorticoid Injection for Osteoarthritis of the Knee. N Engl J Med. 2020 Apr 9;382(15):1420-1429. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1905877. PMID: 32268027.
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