An obese and otherwise healthy 62-year-old male presents to the clinic with chronic but worsening right medial knee pain. Pain is worse with weight-bearing, especially when descending hills and stairs, and disrupts his sleep. Physical examination reveals a trace effusion, tenderness to palpation over the medial joint line, and mild crepitus appreciated with range of motion. Rosenberg/lateral/sunrise radiographs reveal medial joint space narrowing and small medial and patellofemoral compartment osteophytes, consistent with osteoarthritis. He is counseled on weight loss, prescribed a course of physical therapy, and encouraged to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as needed. He is also offered a joint injection for more immediate relief. He asks if the numbing medications used in joint injections are safe.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.