Table 1.
Assessment of study characteristics
| Reference | Joint Pathology | Procedure | Imaging modality | Randomization | Blinding | Accurate injection definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balint at al15 | Knee RA, seronegative arthritis, OA | Fluid aspiration | US | No | Outcome assessor | Removal of a recordable amount of synovial fluid |
| Bliddal17 | Knee OA | Air injection | Air arthrography | No | No | Injected air visible in suprapatellar pouch |
| Cunnington et al19 | Knee Inflammatory arthritis | Corticosteroid injection | US | Yes | Patient, clinical assessor, radiologic assessor | Radiography of joint in two planes performed immediately after injection |
| Curtiss et al20 | Knee Cadaveric, no pathology | Dye injection | US | Yes | Outcome assessor | All injectate found within joint upon dissection |
| Im et al21 | Knee OA | HA injection | US | Yes | No | Radiographic evaluation after injection confirming all contrast material in the intra-articular space |
| Park et al26 | Knee OA | HA injection | US | Yes | Outcome assessor | Radiographic evaluation after injection confirming all contrast material in the intra-articular space |
| Bain et al14 | Shoulder (AC) Shoulder girdle symptoms | Corticosteroid injection | Fluoroscopy | No | No | Joint distension during injection identified with dynamic fluoroscopic images |
| Bisbinas et al16 | Shoulder (AC) NR | NR | Fluoroscopy | No | No | Needle location between bony boundaries of acromion and clavicle |
| Catalano et al18 | Shoulder (GH) NR | NR | MR arthrography | No | No | Absence of contrast extravasation under MR imaging |
| Cunnington et al19 | Shoulder (GH) Inflammatory arthritis | Corticosteroid injection | US | Yes | Patient, clinical assessor, and radiologic assessor | Radiography of joint in two planes performed immediately after injection |
| Peck et al23 | Shoulder (AC) Cadaveric, no pathology | Colored latex injection | US | Yes | Outcome assessor | All latex found entirely within the acromioclavicular joint upon dissection |
| Pichler et al24 | Shoulder (AC) Cadaveric, no pathology | Methyl blue injection | Fluoroscopy | No | No | Intra-articular solution injection confirmed via arthrotomy |
| Rutten et al22 | Shoulder (SB) Impingement syndrome | Corticosteroid injection | MRI | Yes | Outcome assessor | Confirmation of all injection fluid within subacromial-subdeltoid bursa via MRI |
| Sabeti-Aschraf et al25 | Shoulder (AC) Cadaveric, no pathology | Needle infiltration | US | Yes | Outcome assessor | Acromioclavicular joint exhibits remarkable widening of the joint space or swelling under ultrasound imaging |
Abbreviations: AC, acromioclavicular; GH, glenohumeral; HA, hyaluronic acid; IA, intra-articular; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; NR, not reported; OA, osteoarthritis; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SB, subacromial bursa; US, ultrasound.