THAT IS?
This technique consists in the administration of corticosteroids inside the affected joint or bursa, with the aim of slowing down the inflammatory process within them. It can be administered with or without local anesthetic depending on each pathology and patient.
Local corticosteroids are synthetic drugs with properties similar to those of the natural corticosteroids found in humans. They have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. They can be applied by multiple routes, but the intra-articular route is the most effective in processes that occur with joint inflammation since they act almost exclusively at the site of inflammation, minimizing the adverse effects on the rest of the body.
After the corresponding cleaning of the skin with a disinfectant product, the preparation is introduced into the joint using a fine needle. In skilled hands, the infiltration usually causes no more than mild discomfort and usually lasts no more than a minute.
This type of infiltration should be administered with caution in diabetic, hypertensive or anticoagulated patients. Its administration is not advised in those patients who are planning a prosthetic joint replacement in the weeks/months following this infiltration.
