Needle Sizes for Intraarticular Steroid Injections

Procedure Info

Larger Joints (e.g. knee or shoulder)

  • A 1.5 inch, 21-gauge needle is usually used.

Smaller Joints

  • A 0.5 inch, 23- or 25-gauge needle can be used.

Note that viscous steroid preparations can’t be injected through small-bore needles. You have to use a larger one.

Hip Joint

  • Spinal Needle. A 20–22 gauge 3.5-inch standard cutting spinal needle.
  • A spinal needle is a very long needle.

 

Reference
Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2013;14(5):505-508. Ultrasound-guided Intraarticular Hip Injection for Osteoarthritis Pain in the Emergency Department. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789916/

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