Steroid injections may put arthritis patients at risk for bone disorder

Researchers noted that patients receiving hip injections have symptoms of hip pain severe enough to require the injection and may be prone to faster progression of bony changes compared to the control groups.

According to a recent study, those steroid injections may be putting hip arthritis patients’ bones at risk. Receiving an injection of a steroid and anesthetic is a common treatment for patients who are experiencing pain and inflammation in a joint, such as the hip, knee or shoulder.

Receiving an injection of a steroid and anaesthetic is a common treatment for patients who are experiencing pain and inflammation in a joint, such as the hip, knee or shoulder. (Shutterstock)

Study author Connie Y Chang from Harvard Medical School in Boston said that changes due to osteoarthritis, such as narrowing in the space between joints and the development of bony proliferations, typically develop slowly over time.

When reading follow-up radiographs of patients who had received the hip injections, the team noticed changes had developed rapidly in some of them. Chang noted that patients receiving hip injections have symptoms of hip pain severe enough to require the injection and may be prone to faster progression of bony changes compared to the control groups.

To determine whether arthritis worsened in patients following a hip steroid/anesthetic injection, the team analysed 102 patients with age ranging from 19-92, including 62 women, who received X-ray images of the treated hip at the time of the injection and during a follow-up three to nine months later.