A comparison of the accuracy of intra-articular knee injection between anteromedial approach versus anteromedial approach with using k-wire to identify location technique
Abstract
Background: Intra-articular knee injections involve various techniques, each differing in accuracy. The accuracy of knee injections directly impacts the effectiveness of treatment and reduce complications.
Objective: Developing injection techniques to improve efficacy and accuracy, as it can reduce complications and enhance patient outcomes.
Study design: This study is an open-labeled randomized controlled trial in which patients were divided into two groups. The first group (65 people) received knee joint injections using the anteromedial approach, while the second group (65 people) received the same injection method and using K-wire to locate the needle tip (anteromedial with K-wire). The accuracy of the injections was measured by using x-ray air arthrogram. Additionally, pain scores between the two groups were compared.
Results: The study found that the anteromedial injection method had an accuracy of 89.2% (58/65), while the anteromedial method with K-wire had an accuracy of 98.5% (64/65), with a statistically significant difference (p=0.03), effect size (OR) 0.129 95% CI (0.015, 1.084). The pain scores were 4.5 and 4.2, respectively, with no statistically significant difference.
Conclusion: Knee injections using the K-wire assisted anteromedial approach significantly enhance injection accuracy and do not increase patient pain levels compared to the standard anteromedial approach.
Keywords: Knee injection, anteromedial approach, K-wire
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