Corticosteroid injection versus immobilisation for the treatment of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

De Quervain's tenosynovitis causes pain and impairment of thumb function. Conservative treatments comprise corticosteroid injection and immobilization, and it is unclear which offers greater efficacy. Previous reviews were limited by the small number of included studies; thus an updated review and meta-analysis is warranted.

Methods

A systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted. Randomized control trials comparing corticosteroid injection to immobilization were included. Two authors screened articles, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Meta-analyses using the random-effects model were conducted, calculating pooled relative risks and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

16 studies comprising 1206 patients were included. Corticosteroid injection showed greater treatment success than immobilization (relative risk: 1.61; 95% confidence interval: 1.21–2.15). Combining treatments demonstrated greater efficacy than immobilization (relative risk: 2.15; 95% confidence interval: 1.77–2.62) or injection alone (relative risk: 1.23; 95% confidence interval: 1.12–1.34). Pain and disability scores were lower with injection than immobilization and with combined treatment than with either alone.

Conclusion

Corticosteroid injection is more effective than immobilization for De Quervain's tenosynovitis, and combining the two treatments provides additional benefit. We recommend corticosteroid injection in first line treatment and immobilization as adjuvant therapy. Further research is required regarding optimal corticosteroid and local anesthetic formulations.