The effect of hyaluronic acid injection compared to corticosteroids injection in hand osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials.

Background: Treatment of hand osteoarthritis (OA) often includes corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid (HA) injections. Some studies have reported better pain relief and improved function, whereas others have reported minimal long-term benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of corticosteroids and HA injections on the management of hand OA.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and EBSCO Open Disk were searched from their inception to May 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing intra-articular corticosteroid and HA injections in adults with hand OA were included. Data on demographics, interventions, and outcomes were extracted and the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2. We performed a pairwise meta-analysis using a random-effects model to estimate the pooled effects of the included trials, that is, standardized mean differences (SMDs) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Of 189 articles, three RCTs involving 180 participants (mean age, 62-62.9 years) were included. One RCT was identified through a database search, and two RCTs were identified through other searching techniques. The risk of bias was considered low in two trials and high in one trial. No significant difference in pain relief was found between the corticosteroid and HA treatments (SMD, 0.06; 95% CI, -0.23 to 0.35; I2=0.0%).

Conclusion: Corticosteroid and HA injections offered similar pain relief in patients with hand OA. Further long-term studies are necessary to evaluate the functional outcomes and potential side effects. However, this conclusion should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size of the studies (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024511411).