CRITICAL REVIEW Complications AssociatedWith the Use of Corticosteroids in the Treatment of Athletic Injuries

of the corticosteroids (cortisone and synthetic derivatives) has led to their extensive usage in the management of rheumatologic diseases and athletic musculoskeletal injuries. The efficacy and risks of locally injected or systemically administered corticosteroids in the treatment of athletic injuries are unclear. Objective: To review critically the medical literature and determine complications and risks associated with corticosteroid treatment of athletic injuries. Data Sources: A search of 3 databases—MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Clinical Trial Register—was performed using the OVID interface for all years between 1966 and 2003. The search first combined all references under the medical subject headings adrenal cortex hormones, glucocorticoids, and glucocorticoids, synthetic. A second search combined all references under themedical subject head-ings athletic injuries, sprains and strains, tendon injuries, shoulde