Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Guided Versus Anatomic Landmark-Guided Corticosteroid Injection on Pain, Physical Function, and Safety in Patients With Subacromial Impingement Syndrome A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided versus anatomic landmark-guided corticosteroid injection for the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome. Design: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, , CBM, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched from inception to August 15, 2021, for randomized controlled trials comparing ultrasound-guided versus anatomic landmark-guided injections of corticosteroids for the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome. Results: Twelve randomized controlled trials with 891 patients were included in this study; 454 patients received ultrasound-guided injections and 437 received anatomic landmark-guided injections. Pooled results showed that ultrasound-guided injection was more beneficial for pain relief (10 trials; mean difference = -0.58; 95% confidence interval = -1.05 to -0.10; P = 0.017) and functional improvement (11 trials; standard mean difference = -0.84; 95% confidence interval = -1.41 to -0.27; P = 0.004). There was no significant difference in shoulder range of motion. In the subgroup analysis, there was a significant difference in pain relief and functional improvement at 6-8 wks and with methylprednisolone. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided injection of corticosteroids is potentially superior to anatomic landmark-guided injection in improving the clinical symptoms of subacromial impingement syndrome; however, these findings should be interpreted with some caution as the quality of evidence was rated as moderate to very low.

Automated summary

This study compared the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided versus anatomic landmark-guided corticosteroid injection for the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome. The results showed that ultrasound-guided injection was more beneficial for pain relief and functional improvement, but had no significant effect on shoulder range of motion.