What is the evidence for corticosteroid injections for deQuervain’s tenosynovitis?
AMSTAR Rating
Summary
Patient Population:
2 RCT’s with 91 patients (81 female) with de Quervain’s tenosynovitis (pain and tenderness over the radial styloid and either pain with resisted thumb extension or a positive Finkelstein’s test).
Intervention:
Methylprednisolone (10mg) and bupivacaine injection.
Comparison:
Splinting with a thumb spica.
Outcome:
- 41/46 in steroid injection group achieved complete relief of pain
- 13/45 in thumb spica group achieved complete relief of pain
- Significant benefit in favour of steroid injection (p < 0.01)
Outcomes Assessed
- Benefit
- Harm
- Inconclusive
Steroid injection v. thumb spica splint
Pain
Relevant Clinical Info
Number needed to treat (NNT) is 2 (1.6).
Additional relevant study: The combined technique of corticosteroid injection and thumb spica casting was better than injection alone in the treatment of de Quervain tenosynovitis in terms of treatment success and functional outcomes. (J Hand Surg Am. 2014;39(1):37e41)
Participant Information
of participants
Female
the sample size was 91
Mean age of 31.7 years.
their were 2 studies used.
