Sonographically guided hydrodissection and corticosteroid injection for scleroderma hand.

Scleroderma is associated with intractable hand pain from vasospasm, digital ischemia, tenosynovitis, and nerve entrapment. This study investigated the effect of hydrodissection of the carpal tunnel followed by corticosteroid injection for the painful scleroderma hand. Twenty-six consecutive subjects [12 with painful scleroderma hand and 14 with rheumatoid arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome (RA/CTS)] underwent sonographically observed carpal tunnel hydrodissection with 3 ml of 1% lidocaine administered with a 25-gauge 1-in.

A randomized controlled trial of the cost-effectiveness of ultrasound-guided intraarticular injection of inflammatory arthritis.

Objective: We studied whether sonographic needle guidance affected the outcomes of intraarticular (IA) injection for inflammatory arthritis.

Methods: Joints with inflammatory arthritis (n = 244; 76% rheumatoid arthritis, 3% small joints, 51% intermediate, and 46% large) were randomized to injection by conventional palpation-guided anatomic injection (120 joints) or sonographic image-guided injection enhanced with a 1-handed reciprocating procedure device mechanical syringe (124 joints). A 1-needle, 2-syringe technique was used.