Cause for caution with corticosteroids pre-arthroplasty
This patient's devastating complication after a total hip replacement highlights the potential danger of corticosteroid injections done in the lead-up to joint arthroplasty
A sixty-five-year-old man, with no medical comorbidities, has a painful right hip which is being investigated by his GP.
An MRI shows severe hip joint osteoarthritis with a large effusion and significant inflammatory changes.
The radiologist, in the report, suggests the patient may benefit from an intra-articular cortisone injection.
This is arranged by a locum GP, who is not aware that the patient’s usual GP has referred him to an orthopaedic surgeon for a surgical opinion.
