Swelling and stiffness after being injected with depo-medrol

[saber138]

Hello there,

I'm saber uddin. I'm 21 years old. Two months ago i had a knee sprain from playing basketball. My knee was moderately swollen, it was also stiff and i was only able to bend my knee upto 90 degree. From a MRI diagnostics i found out that i had little tear on my ACL. After being on physical therapy for two months i was able to bend my knee more however my knee is still swollen, stiff and the pain is less. Moreover, yesterday my doctor injected depo-medrol on my infected joint. And today my knee is extremely swollen and stiff, more than ever. I can barely bend my knee to 90 degree.

My question, Is this swelling and stiffness normal after being injected with depo-medrol ? Or is this a side-effect ?

[saber138]

Thanks alot!! I really appreciate it

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

A few patients may experience a "steroid flare" in which the joint becomes more inflamed for 2-3 days following injection. Anti-inflammatory medications and/or ice may prevent or control this reaction. This would gradually subside in a few days. If this does not show improvement other causes such as infection or allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the steroid preparation would need to be thought of and ruled out. For the time being I would recommend rest with application of ice-packs to the area and OTC NSAIDS. If this does not tend to improve in a few days, you may consider seeing your orthopedician to rule out other possibilities.
Hope this information helps.

Take care!