Short term effects of intraarticular triamcinolone acetonide injection on serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone levels in male veterans: A prospective pilot study

Background Despite the common practice of intraarticular corticosteroid injections (ICSIs) for peripheral joint disease, little is known about their systemic effects on the hypothalamic–pituitary‐gonadal axis. Objective To assess the short‐term effects of ICSIs on serum testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels together with changes in Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) scores in a veteran population. Design Prospective pilot study. Setting Outpatient musculoskeletal clinic. Participants Thirty male veterans, median age 50 (range 30–69) years. Interventions Ultrasound‐guided glenohumeral joint injection using 3 mL of 1% lidocaine HCl and 1 mL of 40 mg triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog). Outcome Measure(s) Serum T, FSH, and LH levels, Quantitative Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (qADAM), and SPADI questionnaires at baseline, 1, and 4 week(s) post procedure. Results At 1 week post injection, serum T levels decreased by 56.8 ng/dL (95% confidence interval (CI): 91.8, 21.7, p = .002) compared with baseline. Between 1 and 4 weeks post injection, serum T levels increased by 63.9 ng/dL (95% CI: 26.5, 101.2, p = .001), recovering to near baseline levels. SPADI scores were reduced at 1 week (–18.3, 95% CI: –24.4, –12.1, p