Skip to content
ClinCalc Pro
Menu
Calculators Drugs Pathways AI Dx Donate Get the App
Corticosteroid (Intra-articular / Soft Tissue)

Triamcinolone Acetonide 10–40mg (Kenalog)

Brand names: Kenalog, Adcortyl (intra-articular)

Triamcinolone acetonide is a long-acting corticosteroid administered by intra-articular or soft-tissue injection to relieve inflammation in conditions such as osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthropathies.

Dosing — being independently re-sourced

ClinCalc Pro is rebuilding its dose data from primary open sources — the manufacturer SmPC (eMC), the WHO Model Formulary and other official references — under clinician review. This drug's structured dose is not yet published here. Confirm all doses against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.

Clinical monograph

How it works

As a glucocorticoid it suppresses local inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory mediators and reducing immune cell activity within the joint.

Prescribing in practice

  • Septic arthritis and infection in or around the injection site must be excluded before injection, as intra-articular steroid into an infected joint can be catastrophic.
  • Repeated injections into the same joint should be limited because of the risk of cartilage damage and joint deterioration.
  • Injection may cause a transient post-injection flare, local skin and subcutaneous fat atrophy, and systemic effects including a rise in blood glucose.

Monitoring

Observe the injected joint for signs of infection or flare afterwards, and monitor blood glucose in people with diabetes.

Counselling the patient

  • Some increase in pain can occur in the first day or two after the injection before it settles.
  • Seek advice if the joint becomes hot, red, very painful or swollen, or you develop a fever.
  • Your blood sugar may rise temporarily if you have diabetes.

Evidence & guidelines

Intra-articular corticosteroid injection provides short-term symptom relief in osteoarthritis according to NICE guidance.

Reference: NICE NG226 (Osteoarthritis); BSMS and BSRA Joint Injection Guidelines; BMJ Best Practice; Drug verified in RxNorm (NLM); confirm dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC). Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).

Related

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

Calculators
Pathways