Adverse events from diagnostic and therapeutic joint injections: a literature review

Abstract

This review article classifies the various adverse reactions arising from intra-articular injections by severity, diagnostic category, and whether they are due to corticosteroid, local anesthetic or viscosupplementation injections. Life-threatening and serious adverse events from intra-articular injections are rare and range from local complications to systemic afflictions. Measures to reduce the likelihood of an adverse event occurring are outlined and patients with significant features in their clinical histories, predisposing them to adverse events, are highlighted.