Injection of the subacromial bursa in patients with rotator cuff syndrome: a prospective, randomized study comparing the effectiveness of different routes.

Background: Rotator cuff syndrome is often treated with subacromial injection of corticosteroid and local anesthetic. It has not been established if the common injection routes of the bursa are equally accurate.

Methods: We conducted a prospective clinical trial involving seventy-five shoulders in seventy-five patients who were randomly assigned to receive a subacromial injection through an anterior, lateral, or posterior route with respect to the acromion.