What factors influence pain scores following Corticosteroid injection in patients with Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome? A systematic Review

Abstract

Cortico-steroid Injections (CSI) are commonly used to treat patients with Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS) but it is unclear which patients will experience improvements in pain Objectives: To identify factors that influence improvements in pain for patients with GTPS treated with CSI Design: Systematic review Methods: A search was undertaken of AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline and PEDro databases. Studies were eligible for inclusion of they investigated factors that influenced changes in pain experienced by patients who received a CSI. Studies needed to include relevant summary statistics and tests of clinical significance. Risk Of Bias in Non-randomised Trials Of Interventions (ROBINS-I) and Risk of Bias 2 (ROB2) tools were used to assess bias. Results: The search identified 466 studies, 8 were included in the final review with a total of 643 participants. There was no association between demographic variables such as age, sex, symptom duration or obesity and pain outcomes post-CSI. Having a co-existing musculoskeletal (MSK) condition such as knee osteoarthritis or sacroiliac/lumbar spine pain was associated with less pain reduction post-CSI. Injections into the Trochanteric Bursa were associated with longer lasting pain reduction than Gluteus Medius Bursa or extra-bursal injections. Image guidance of CSI maintained lower pain scores at six months but did not increase the duration of the therapeutic effect past six months. The presence of specific ultrasound scan features was not associated with differences in pain scores. Conclusions: Patients with co-existing MSK conditions may not respond to CSI as well as those without. Injections into the Greater Trochanteric Bursa may have longer lasting benefit. Further research is needed on the use of USS imaging findings and image guidance.