Effectiveness Of Second Corticosteroid Injections For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: A single local corticosteroid injection is an effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. No study has specifically examined the effectiveness of a second injection on relapse after primary injection. Methods: We identified a cohort of patients who had received an initial corticosteroid injection into 1 wrist and then, at a later date, a second injection into the same wrist. We compared the change in the Boston Symptom Severity Scale (SSS) and Functional Status Scale (FSS) between first and second injections. Results: In 229 patients who received 2 injections the mean improvement on the SSS was 1.2 (SD = 0.8) for the first injection and 1.3 (SD = 0.9) for the second, which was not statistically significant. Improvement in FSS for the first injection was 0.4 (SD = 0.8) and 0.7 (SD = 0.8) for the second, which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Second corticosteroid injections appear to be at least as effective as the first. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.