Ultrasound-guided cortisone jabs may help treat severe hip pain effectively

Washington, Dec 27 (ANI): A new study has shown that ultrasound-guided cortisone injections can effectively treat gluteus medius tendinopathy.

Gluteus medius tendinopathy is a common, painful condition caused by an injury to the tendons in the buttocks that typically affects middle-aged to elderly women and young active individuals.

"The underlying causes remain unclear but probably are multi-factorial and involve mechanical and degenerative processes," said Etienne Cardinal, lead author of the study.

Medical treatment usually includes physiotherapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and local injections of corticosteroids.

The study, performed at the University of Montreal's Hospital Center, included 54 patients with gluteus medius tendinopathy. Ultrasound-guided cortisone injections were performed on all patients.

"One month after treatment, 72 percent of the patients showed a clinically significant improvement in pain level. Seventy percent of patients were satisfied with the results of the intervention," said Cardinal.

"The use of ultrasound for guiding musculoskeletal procedures has increased over the past several years. Advantages of ultrasound over fluoroscopy include its soft-tissue imaging capabilities that allow a diagnostic study to be performed before cortisone injection.

"This noninvasive, nonionizing imaging technique allows continuous monitoring of the needle position, which facilitates the performance of safe and precise cortisone injections," he added.

The study has been published in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. (ANI)