ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy and effect of ultrasonography guided subacromial subdeltoid (SASD) bursa injection on the shoulder pain and function compared to blind technique. METHOD: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed as SASD bursitis were administered with SASD injection of corticosteroids randomly by either blind or US guided technique and then assessed by ultrasonography to confirm the accuracy. Shoulder pain and function were evaluated by visual analog scale with Hawkin's impingement test, active range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale before and 1 week after the injection. RESULTS: The accuracy of SASD injection using blind technique was 42.8%, however, US-guided injection showed 100% accuracy, significantly higher than blind technique (p<0.05). We could find significant improvement in pain with Hawkin's impingement test, active ROM of the shoulder, UCLA shoulder rating scale 1 week after injection in both groups. But there were no significant differences between the groups. In eight patients, failure was observed: four in the suprascapularis tendon, three in the deltoid muscle, and one in the subcutaneous tissue without side effects. CONCLUSION: Ultasonography guided injection into SASD bursa improved the accuracy of injection. However the injection method and the success of injection did not affect to the pain and shoulder function.