Skip to content

Knee Joint InjectionsUltrasound-guided knee joint injections to reduce inflammation, drain effusion, and relieve arthritic knee pain — performed by board-certified pain management physicians at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.

Specialty
Pain Management
Type
Procedure
Body location
Knee joint, tibiofemoral joint, suprapatellar pouch, patellofemoral joint, synovium
CPT code
20610 (arthrocentesis/injection, major joint, without ultrasound), 20611 (with ultrasound guidance and permanent recording); J-codes billed separately for the corticosteroid administered

Also known as: Intra-Articular Knee Injection, Knee Steroid Injection, Knee Arthrocentesis, Cortisone Shot Knee

Knee Joint Injections in Houston, Texas

A knee that hurts on stairs, swells after a walk, and wakes you at night is not simply going to be talked out of it. Injecting the joint directly puts medication where the inflammation is, at a fraction of the systemic exposure of oral anti-inflammatories — which matters a great deal if your kidneys or stomach cannot tolerate them.

What is a Knee Joint Injection?

A knee joint injection delivers corticosteroid and local anesthetic into the intra-articular space of the knee, typically under ultrasound guidance to confirm the needle is inside the joint capsule rather than in the surrounding fat.

Guidance matters more than most patients are told. Landmark-only knee injections miss the joint space in a meaningful minority of attempts, particularly in larger knees or when there is little effusion.

What It Treats

  • Knee osteoarthritis , particularly during an inflammatory flare
  • Effusion — a swollen, tense knee that limits motion
  • Inflammatory arthritis involving the knee
  • Post-traumatic arthritis following meniscal or ligament injury
  • Knees awaiting arthroplasty where symptom control is needed in the interim

Where It Fits

A steroid injection is a short-to-medium-term intervention. It reliably reduces pain and swelling for weeks to a few months. It does not modify the disease, and repeated high-frequency injections into the same joint are not benign.

For patients wanting longer intervals, the options are viscosupplementation and genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation. For patients not yet ready for replacement, that ladder is often the difference between deferring surgery and scheduling it.

Relief from Knee Pain at Remix Medical

Because Remix Medical is a multispecialty group, your knee injection is dosed with your kidney function and diabetes control in view — not in isolation. Contact us to schedule a consultation with a board-certified pain management physician in Houston.

How it's performed

The knee is positioned in slight flexion and the skin is cleansed and anesthetized. Under ultrasound guidance, a needle is advanced into the joint space, most often via a lateral suprapatellar or anterolateral approach. Any effusion may be aspirated first, which both relieves pressure and permits fluid analysis. Corticosteroid combined with local anesthetic is then injected into the joint.

How to prepare

No fasting required. You may drive yourself. Hold anticoagulants only as directed by the prescribing physician. Wear loose clothing or shorts. Notify the office if you have an active infection, fever, or a prosthetic knee.

What to expect after

Ice the knee 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours for the first day. Avoid high-impact activity and prolonged standing for 48 hours; gentle range of motion is encouraged. A brief post-injection flare in the first 24 to 48 hours is common. Monitor blood glucose closely if diabetic. Report fever, escalating pain, or a hot, red, swollen knee immediately — these suggest infection.

Outcome

Most patients experience meaningful reduction in knee pain and swelling within days, with benefit typically lasting several weeks to a few months. Relief commonly allows progression with strengthening exercises that make the effect more durable.

Related

Learn more

Your physician

Your pain management at Remix Medical.

Every clinician at Remix Medical is board-certified and owns the practice — so the physician in your exam room is the one making decisions about your care.

  • Raju Mantena, DO

    Pain Medicine Physician

    Medical Center — South Freeway · Montrose — Upper Kirby · Pearland

    Board certifiedAccepting newBook

This page is for general education and is not a substitute for medical advice. Whether a given procedure is appropriate depends on your individual evaluation. Contact a Remix Medical clinician to discuss your care.

Updated July 9, 2026.

Ready to see a pain-management specialist in Houston?

Book your first visit, or call us to verify your insurance and ask any questions about pain management care.