The Success of Corticosteroid Injections in Treating Midfoot and Transverse Tarsal Joint

Abstract

BackgroundThis study aims to quantify how well midfoot and transverse tarsal joint arthritis can be treated nonoperatively with fluoroscopic-guided injections.

Methods: We reviewed the records of 132 patients (155 feet) diagnosed with midfoot arthritis between 2015 and 2019, who received conservative management via periodic fluoroscopic-guided steroid injections. Patients were told to follow-up as needed after the injection.

Results: There was a 94.2% success rate of treating midfoot and transverse tarsal joint osteoarthritis via fluoroscopic-guided corticosteroid injections. On average, each foot received 3.1 (range, 1-21) injections, which did not differ between cohorts (operative = 3.9, nonoperative = 3.0; P = .147). Patients with higher pretreatment Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) scores in Magnification (P = .046), Helplessness (P = .002), and Total (P = .003) subsections were more likely to undergo surgery. Patients diagnosed with depression were more likely to receive more total injections (depression = 4.3, nondepression = 2.9, P = .046) over a greater injection duration (depression = 22.2 months, nondepression = 11.4 months, P = .046).

Conclusions: Overall, fluoroscopic-guided injections are effective nonoperative treatment of midfoot and transverse tarsal joint arthritis.

Level of evidence: Level III, Retrospective cohort study.

Keywords: age-related problems; arthritis and joint disease; corticosteroids; forefoot; midfoot; other; toe.