Intra-articular corticosteroid for knee osteoarthritis

Jüni P, Hari R, Rutjes AW, et al. · The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Pain benefit of SMD -0.40 (~1 cm on 10-cm VAS, NNT 8): moderate at 1-2 weeks, small by 4-6 weeks, and no detectable effect at 26 weeks. No quality-of-life improvement.

Population

27 trials, 1,767 participants with knee OA

Intervention

Intra-articular corticosteroid injection

Comparator

Sham injection or no treatment

Limitations

Cochrane rated evidence quality low; small trials; effect duration weeks, not months.