Comparative Effectiveness of Corticosteroid Dosages for Ultrasound-Guided Glenohumeral Joint Hydrodilatation in Adhesive Capsulitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To investigate the efficacy of hydrodilatation with 40 mg triamcinolone acetonide (TA) compared with the same procedure with 10 mg TA in patients with adhesive capsulitis (AC) of the shoulders.Prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial with 12 weeks of follow-up.Tertiary care rehabilitation center.Eighty-four patients diagnosed with AC (N=84).Ultrasound guidance using (A) hydrodilatation with 4 mL of TA (40 mg)+4 mL 2% lidocaine hydrochloride+12 mL normal saline or (B) hydrodilatation with 1 mL of TA (10 mg)+4 mL 2% lidocaine hydrochloride+15 mL normal saline through the posterior glenohumeral recess.Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and range of motion (ROM) at baseline and at 6 and 12 weeks after injection.Both groups experienced improvements in the SPADI score, VAS scores for pain, and ROM throughout the study period. However, group-by-time interactions were not significant for any outcome measurement at any follow-up time point. No adverse events were reported in either group.Ultrasound-guided hydrodilatation with 40 and 10 mg TA yielded similar improvements in SPADI, VAS score, and ROM at the 12-week follow-up. Considering the potential detrimental effects of corticosteroids on the adjacent cartilage and tendons, a low dose of TA would be preferable for ultrasound-guided hydrodilatation for AC.