Studies comparing different imaging techniques or imaging versus palpation guidance at small joints and periarticular structures (PICO1)
| Year author | STUDY DESIGN | Imaging | Comparator | Disease | No Imaging/ Comparator | Intervention (COMPOUND) | SITE | FAVORS imaging* | FAVORS comparator* | No difference between imaging and comparator* | RoB† |
| US vs palpation guidance | |||||||||||
| 2015 Park50 | Retrospective cohort study | US | Palpation guidance | AC joint OA | 50/50 | injection (lidocaine, triamcinolone, contrast material) | AC joint | 1 x Accuracy (BSL) 3 x Safety (3,6 m) | – | 1 x Safety (BSL,1,3,6m) |  |
| 2019 Roh48 | RCT | US | Palpation guidance | trigger finger | 41/38 | injection (triamcinolone) | finger flexor tendon sheath | 1 x Efficacy (n.a.) | – | 2 x Safety (BSL,12,24w) 2 x Efficacy (BSL,12,24w) |  |
| 2018 Lee49 | RCT | US | Palpation guidance | trigger finger | 20, 23 fingers /21, 25 fingers | percutaneous pulley release (lidocaine) | A1 pulley | 1 x Safety (2,4 w) | – | 1 x Safety (n.a.) 2 x Efficacy (BSL, n.a.) |  |
| 2015 Cecen51 | RCT | US | Palpation guidance | trigger finger | 35/35 | injection (methylprednisolone) | A1 pulley | – | – | 2 x Safety (BSL,6w,6m) 2 x Efficacy (BSL,6w,6m) |  |
| 2019 Pan42 | RCT | US | Palpation guidance | trigger finger (A1 pulley) | 20/21 | cutting (trigger finger release through needle knife) | A1 pulley | – | 1 x Cost/Time (BSL) | 1 x Efficacy (BSL) |  |
| US vs fluoroscopy vs palpation guidance | |||||||||||
| 2019 Gershkovich62 | Retrospective cohort study | US | Fluo., Palpation guidance | Thumb CMC arthritis | 8099/2533/51701 | Injection (n.a.) | CMC joint of the thumb | – | 1 x Efficacy for palpation guidance (n.a.) 1 x Efficacy for Fluo. (n.a.) 1 x Cost/Time (n.a.) | 1 x Efficacy (n.a.) |  |
| US/CT vs palpation guidance | |||||||||||
| 2017 Resnick52 | Restrospective cross-sectional study | US or CT | Palpation guidance | JIA | 22/23 | injection (triamcinolone) | TMJ | – | 2 x Cost/Time (BSL) | 1 x Safety (n.a.) 2 x Efficacy (n.a.) |  |
*These columns indicate the number of outcomes studied and their categories (eg, 6 × efficacy indicates that six different outcomes related to the efficacy category were studied), with the respective time point(s) when the outcome was determined (parenthesis). The term ‘BSL’ refers to differences concerning the outcomes at BSL. A detailed description of studies and outcomes can be found in supplement.
†A green, yellow, red and black circle indicate low, moderate, high and critical risk of bias, respectively. In case multiple circles are depicted, certain outcomes within one study had different risk of bias.
AC, acromioclavicular joint; BSL, baseline; CMC, carpometacarpal; JIA, juvenile idiopathic arthritis; n.a., not applicable; OA, osteoarthritis; PICO, Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome; RCT, randomised controlled trial; RoB, Risk of Bias; TMJ, temporomandibular joint; US, ultrasound.;