Table 1.
Details of the 824 patients who received a primary corticosteroid injection
| Factor | No secondary CTD (n = 632) | Secondary CTD (n = 192) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years, mean, SD) | 50.1 (12.5) | 50.6 (13.7) | 0.646 |
| Gender (n, % of column total) | |||
| Male | 304 (48.1%) | 61 (31.8%) | <0.001 |
| Female | 328 (51.9%) | 131 (68.2%) | |
| Bilateral disease (n, %) | 438 (69.3%) | 144 (75%) | 0.148 |
| Hand dominance (n, %) | |||
| Left | 55 (8.7%) | 13 (6.8%) | 0.434 |
| Right | 574 (90.8%) | 179 (93.2%) | |
| Ambidextrous | 3 (0%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Dominant hand affected (n, %) | 541 (85.6%) | 175 (91.1%) | 0.051 |
| Exposure to vibration (n, %) | 253 (40%) | 65 (33.9%) | 0.128 |
| Claim (n, %) | 39 (6.2%) | 11 (5.7%) | 0.822 |
| Current smoker (n, %) | 164 (25.9%) | 59 (30.7%) | 0.195 |
| Comorbidity (n, %) | |||
| Menopause | 17 (2.7%) | 13 (6.8%) | 0.014 |
| IHD | 23 (3.6%) | 5 (2.6%) | 0.488 |
| Hypertension | 34 (5.4$) | 17 (8.9%) | 0.187 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 58 (9.2%) | 29 (33.3%) | 0.019 |
| Thyroid disease | 49 (7.8%) | 16 (8.3%) | 0.794 |
| Pregnancy | 3 (0.5%) | 2 (1%) | 0.331 |
| Osteoarthritis | 85 (13.4%) | 33 (17.2%) | 0.195 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 18 (2.8%) | 3 (1.6%) | 0.437 |
| Fracture | 6 (0.9%) | 1 (0.5%) | 1.000 |
| Examination findings (n, %) | |||
| Phalen’s sign positive | 534 (84.5%) | 169 (88%) | 0.227 |
| Tinel sign positive | 192 (30.4%) | 47 (24.5%) | 0.115 |
| Grip strength (kg, mean, SD) | 22.4 (14.4) | 19.4 (12.8) | 0.009 |
| DASH score (mean, SD) | 47.0 (22.8) | 51.4 (20.4) | 0.017 |
| Kamath score (mean, SD) | 6.85 (92.2) | 7.0 (2.1) | 0.393 |
| Nerve conduction studies (n, %) | |||
| Not performed | 39 (6.2%) | 11 (5.7%) | <0.001 |
| Positive | 524 (82.9%) | 178 (92.7%) | |
| Negative | 69 (10.9%) | 3 (1.6%) | |