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Assessment of patient satisfaction, functionality, and quality of life after ultrasound-guided knee intervention: a prospective study

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Abstract

Objectives

The use of ultrasound (US) guidance for the injection and aspiration of joints has improved accuracy. The aim of this study was to determine if differences exist in the level of patient satisfaction, functionality, and the quality of life in adult patients receiving US-guided (USG) versus landmark-guided (LMG) knee procedures.

Methods

This prospective, randomized study enrolled 41 patients undergoing knee procedures to USG or LMG groups. visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS), and patient satisfaction score on a 5-point Likert scale were measured pre-procedure, immediate (< 30 min) and late (4–6 weeks) post-procedure.

Results

Thirty-seven patients were included in the final analysis after exclusion of 4 dropouts (18 in LMG arm, 19 in USG arm). Compared with LMG group, patients in the USG group had significantly better improvement in pain immediately (VAS 1.63 ± 1.6 (95% CI 0.91, 2.35) vs 4.05 ± 2.5 (95% CI 2.90, 4.62), p = 0.001) and later post-procedure (VAS 2.68 ± 2.0 (95% CI 1.78, 3.58) vs 6.38 ± 3.8 (95% CI 4.62, 8.14) p = 0.004) and satisfaction scores immediately (4.89 ± 0.3 (95% CI 4.76, 5.02) vs 4.11 ± 1.0 (95% CI 3.65, 4.57), p = 0.002) as well as delayed post-procedure (4.52 ± 0.9 (95% CI 4.12, 4.92) vs 3.38 ± 1.6 (95% CI 2.64, 4.12), p = 0.028).

Conclusion

USG knee procedures were associated with higher patient satisfaction, both immediately after the procedure and after 4–6 weeks compared with LMG knee procedures.

Key Points

•This prospective study is the first one to look at patient satisfaction as an outcome measure after intra-articular steroids knee injections.

•USG (US-guided) knee procedures were associated with higher patient satisfaction compared with LMG (landmark-guided) knee procedures.

•USG knee procedures resulted in greater improvement in symptoms, pain, and quality of life scales after 4–6 weeks compared with LMG knee procedures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bone and Joint Institute, Hartford Hospital, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA

    Tejas Sheth

  2. Internal Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA

    Oscar Mena Miranda

  3. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Jacobi Medical Center, Building 1, #3N-06, Rheumatology Division, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Beverly Johnson

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  1. Tejas Sheth
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  2. Oscar Mena Miranda
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  3. Beverly Johnson
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Contributions

All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beverly Johnson.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. Johnson is a consultant for The Rheumatology Education Group (TREG). Dr. Johnson owns stock in Johnson and Johnson Company and has provided paid consultancy to AbbVie and Novartis Pharmaceutical Companies. The other authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Authors have control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review it if requested.

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Einstein Institutional Board Review (IRB Number: 2015-5379).

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Forty-one patients provided informed consent.

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Forty-one patients provided consent.

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Sheth, T., Miranda, O.M. & Johnson, B. Assessment of patient satisfaction, functionality, and quality of life after ultrasound-guided knee intervention: a prospective study. Clin Rheumatol 40, 735–740 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-05254-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-05254-6

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