The response of human tendon to hydrocortisone injection
Lee, S.K.; Ling, C.M.
Singapore Medical Journal 16(4): 259-262
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-5675 PMID: 1224218 Document Number: 88791
The calcaneal tendons of 15 patients going for lower limb amputation were infiltrated with a suspension of hydrocortisone acetate in lignocaine. At varying intervals after the injections, the amputations were performed and the calcaneal tendons were immediately removed from the limbs and formalin-fixed. As controls, another 3 patients were given normal saline injections into their tendons. Histological examination of the tendons of the test patients showed necrosis of collagen followed by repair. These changes provided possible explanations for ruptures of tendons after local injections of hydrocortisone which are being increasingly reported in the literature.