Skeletal radiology
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Observational Study
Can effusion-synovitis measured on ultrasound or MRI predict response to intra-articular steroid injection in hip osteoarthritis?
Intra-articular steroid injection (IASI) is an effective therapy for hip osteoarthritis (OA), but carries risks and provides significant pain relief to only two thirds of patients. We attempted to predict response to IASI in hip OA patients using baseline clinical, ultrasound, and MRI data. ⋯ Basic measures of inflammation on ultrasound and MRI are highly related to each other, but provide little insight into patient function and pain after IASI. Other mechanisms to explain improvement in patient status after IASI are likely at work.