DISPOSITION OF INTRA-ARTICULARLY INJECTED HYDROCORTISONE ACETATE, HYDROCORTISONE AND CORTISONE ACETATE IN ARTHRITIS. I. CONCENTRATIONS IN SYNOVIAL FLUID AND CELLS*

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Abstract
Using the Porter-Silber method and paper chromatography, studies were made of the disposition and rate of disappearance of hydrocortisone, hydrocortisone acetate and cortisone acetate following intra-articular injection in 38 experiments in 16 patients with arthritis. No clear-cut differences were noted in change of concentration of the 3 compounds during the 1st few hours after injection. The differences between clinical subjects were greater than between compounds. The hydrolyzed forms of hydrocortisone acetate and cortisone acetate were present in greater proportion in the fluid than in the cells of the joint fluid. Concentration in the cells was found to be greatest for hydrocor-tisone acetate and least for hydrocortisone. These data do not explain the marked effectiveness of intra-articular injections of hydrocortisone or hydrocortisone acetate and the relative ineffectiveness of injections of cortisone acetate into arthritic joints.