Betamethasone vs. Methylprednisolone For Pain and Flare Reactions in Trigger Fingers .
Comparing the Intensity of Pain and Incidence of Flare Reaction Following Trigger Finger Injections Using Betamethasone and Methylprednisolone: A Double-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial.
Hand (N Y) . 2025 Mar;20(2):208-212.Sixty-four adult patients with symptomatic trigger finger were randomized to receive either betamethasone (n=32) or methylprednisolone (n=32), both mixed with lidocaine 1%. The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of flare reaction, defined as a VAS pain increase of 2 points or more from baseline. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of severe flare reaction (VAS increase of 4 points or more) and average daily pain scores measured using VAS at baseline, 5 minutes, and daily for 7 days. Overall, the results revealed that although betamethasone injections had a slightly higher incidence of flare and severe flare reactions compared to methylprednisolone, these differences were not statistically significant. Average daily pain scores peaked on day 1 for both groups and then gradually declined, with methylprednisolone showing higher pain on day 1. This suggests that while flare reactions are common, the choice of corticosteroid injection (betamethasone vs. methylprednisolone) did not significantly affect their incidence in this study.
Unlock the Full ACE Report
You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now
Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics