Injeção intra‐articular de hexacetonido de triancinolona em pacientes com artrite reumatoide: avaliação prospectiva da goniometria e parâmetros de inflamação articular

Objectives

To evaluate local joint variables after intra‐articular injection (IAI) with triamcinolone hexacetonide (HT) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods

We blindly and prospectively (baseline, 1, 4, 12 and 24 weeks) evaluated metacarpophalangeal (MCP), wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee and ankle joints after HT IAI by the following outcome measures: Visual analogue scale 0‐10 cm (VAS) for rest pain (VASR); VAS for movement pain (VASM); VAS for joint swelling (VASSw); flexion (FlexG) and extension (ExtG).

Results

289 patients (635 joints) were studied. VASSw (p < 0,001) and VASR (0,001< p < 0.016) improved from T0 to T4, T12 and T24 for all joints. VASM improved from T0‐T4 (p < 0.021) for all joints; T0‐T12 (p < 0.023) for MCF and knee; T0‐T24 (p < 0.019) only for MCF and knee. FlexG improved from T0‐T4 (p < 0.001) for all joints; T0‐T12 (p < 0.001) and T0‐T24 (p < 0.02) only for MCF and knee. ExtG improved from T0‐T4 (p < 0.001) for all joints except for elbow; T0‐T12 (p = 0.003) for wrist, MCP and knee; and T0‐T24 (p = 0.014) for MCF and knee.

Conclusion

VASSw responded better at short and medium term after IAI with HT in our sample of RA patients.