A new study has looked at whether getting a steroid injection for osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee is beneficial. This is a reasonably common procedure for OA and is often used to see if surgery can be put off.

In the study, a group of people aged 45 and over were given injections every 3 months for 2 years. There were 2 groups; 1 was given a steroid, the other given a placebo. In the group given steroid injections, the researchers found that not only did it not help with pain, it actually worsened the condition of their knees.

Here are the conclusions from the latest research:

Those in the group receiving the steroid lost significantly more cartilage than the controls.

There was no difference between the two groups on pain scores assessed every three months.

“These findings do not support this treatment for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis,” the authors concluded.

To read the article, click here.