Musculoskeletal Interface

Covid-19 Update: Corticosteroid Injections During The Coronavirus Pandemic  

Please ensure and document that a discussion has happened that the patient is aware corticosteroid injections pose a possible and quantifiably unknown increased risk of, and complications from, Covid and the possible risk of reduced Covid vaccine efficacy prior to performing.  Secondary care referrals for steroid injection, including image guided injections, require the patient to be counselled and risk assessed prior to referral and this documented in the referral.  Please see guidance available here for detailed information. 

Musculoskeletal Interface

This is NOT an urgent Service, routine referrals only

 

Referral Criteria

Patients with shoulder, hip, knee problems whereby: 

• Conservative measures have failed including a course of tailored physiotherapy AND one or more of the following:
  • Diagnostic uncertainty
  • Uncertain if surgery is indicated
  • Patient is medically unfit or declining surgery 

 

Exclusion Criteria

·         Red flag pathology

·         Severe symptoms with functional limitations and willingness for surgery

·         Previous joint replacement or significant major surgery to the same joint

·         Patients under 16 years

·         Hand, elbow and foot problems

·         Spinal problems (see Spinal Interface)

·         Multiple/inflammatory arthropathy

·         Lumps, bumps, ganglia

 

Please ensure that the patient has had an x-ray of the joint within 6 months of the referral date for knees and shoulders and within 12 months for hips.

 

Clinics for Hip, Knee & Shoulder patients are held at the following locations:

Liskeard

Saltash St Barnabas Hospital

St Austell

Newquay

Truro Health Park

St Michael’s

Camborne Redruth Community Hospital

 

Useful Resources

Patient self management advice and joint mobility videos  Home | IPRS Health Portal (mskr.info)

Escape Pain Online, free 12 week programme for hips and knees OVERVIEW / ESCAPE-pain Online

NHS Free Pilates videos for back pain, knees, arthritis Pilates video for beginners - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Versus Arthritis Exercises for healthy joints | Back, neck, knee and foot exercises (versusarthritis.org)

 

Contributors

Morissa Livett, MSK Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust

Dr Katy Bray, GPwSI, Three Spires MSK Interface

Dr Rebecca Hopkins, GP Orthopaedic Guidelines Lead, Kernow Referral Management Service

 

Date reviewed                     18/02/2022

Next review due                  18/02/2023

Sifter name                          Dr Rebecca Hopkins

 

Version No.   1.3