Corticosteroid injections in the upper limb

Corticosteroid injections in the upper limb

Many hand conditions are helped with corticosteroid injections. There are a variety of preparations available and the type of injection probably does not make a significant difference. A high dose of the steroid however can have serious side effects. These include skin pigmentation or bleaching and dissolving the fat under the skin causing a depression.

My personal preference is to use a corticosteroid called Kenolog which commonly comes in 40mg ampoule vials. This dose would be suitable for injecting a knee or hip and therefore it is my practice to use much lower doses in the upper limb. Commonly I will inject between 4 and 10mg into the upper limb.

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