This is a plain-English translation of the academic paper above, prepared for patients, referring clinicians, and other non-specialist readers. It preserves the structure of the original paper while removing technical jargon. For the full clinical paper, follow the PubMed or DOI links.
Background
Whether an injection into the joint just below the ankle (the subtalar joint) is more reliably placed inside the joint when given from the front-and-outside (anterolateral) or from the back-and-outside (posterolateral), without using ultrasound or x-ray to guide the needle.
Rationale
The subtalar joint is a common site for diagnostic and therapeutic injections, but it is small, complicated in shape, and easy to miss. A missed injection can mean medication delivered to the wrong place, an unhelpful diagnostic result, and continued pain for the patient.
Results
In 68 cadaveric feet, surgeons reached the inside of the joint 68% of the time using the anterolateral approach but 91% of the time using the posterolateral approach. The difference was statistically significant.
Implications
If you are having a subtalar injection without ultrasound or x-ray guidance, the posterolateral approach gives the best chance of the medicine actually reaching the joint. For complex or repeat cases, image-guidance remains the safest approach for any subtalar injection.
Source: Kraus T, Heidari N, Borbas P, Clement H, Grechenig W, Weinberg AM. Accuracy of anterolateral versus posterolateral subtalar injection. Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery 2011;131(6):759-63. doi:10.1007/s00402-010-1208-y
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