# Straight answers to common knee questions *Straight Answers | Knee Injections Tempe* > Knee Injections Tempe answers on cortisone timing, gel, cost, warning signs, surgery choices and the nearby clinic. This page answers common questions about knee relief, safety, cost and surgery timing. The answers can't replace an exam, but they'll help you prepare for one. Take the exact dates of past procedures and a list of your medicines. Your own doctor or surgeon can then give advice that fits your health. ## Sources 1. A meta-analysis found ipsilateral intra-articular corticosteroid injection within 3 months BEFORE joint arthroplasty was associated with increased periprosthetic joint infection risk, and the authors recommend against performing arthroplasty on a joint injected within that window - while injections given at any time overall showed no such association. Lai Q, et al. — [Prior Intra-articular Corticosteroid Injection Within 3 Months May Increase the Risk of Deep Infection in Subsequent Joint Arthroplasty: A Meta-analysis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34919065/). *Clin Orthop Relat Res*, 2022. DOI: 10.1097/CORR.0000000000002055. 2. The 2015 Cochrane review of 27 trials (1,767 participants) found intra-articular corticosteroid better than sham for knee OA pain (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.58 to -0.22; NNTB 8), but the benefit decayed with time: moderate at 1-2 weeks, small at 13 weeks, and no evidence of any effect at 26 weeks. All outcomes were graded LOW quality. Jüni P, et al. — [Intra-articular corticosteroid for knee osteoarthritis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26490760/). *Cochrane Database Syst Rev*, 2015. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005328.pub3. 3. The RUbICOn mixed-methods HTA study, commissioned specifically to address uncertainty about recurrent injections, combined a UK primary-care cohort (2005-2020) linked to hospital data with a safety analysis, patient and clinician interviews, and a three-round Delphi to set research priorities - the current formal acknowledgement that the long-term risks and benefits of repeat injections remain unresolved. Whitehouse MR, et al. — [RecUrrent Intra-articular Corticosteroid injections in Osteoarthritis: the RUbICOn mixed-methods study.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41217479/). *Health Technol Assess*, 2025. DOI: 10.3310/LFAJ9337. 4. In a randomized trial of 100 patients with moderate-to-severe knee OA eligible for total knee replacement, TKR followed by 12 weeks of non-surgical care improved the KOOS4 score more than the same non-surgical programme alone (32.5 vs 16.0 points; adjusted mean difference 15.8, 95% CI 10.0 to 21.5) — but produced four times as many serious adverse events (24 vs 6, P=0.005), and 26% of the non-surgical group had chosen surgery within 12 months, meaning roughly three-quarters had not. Skou ST, Roos EM, Laursen MB, et al. — [A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Total Knee Replacement.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26488691/). *New England Journal of Medicine*, 2015. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1505467. 5. A 2026 Cochrane review searching from 2010 to January 2025 found only ONE randomised trial (100 participants, Denmark) comparing knee arthroplasty with non-surgical treatment. Low-certainty evidence indicated TKA may reduce pain at one year by a clinically important margin (MD 17.60, 95% CI 8.25 to 26.95) and may improve function by an amount that might not be clinically important (MD 12.40), with probably no clinically important difference in health-related quality of life. Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group — [Total and partial knee arthroplasty versus non-surgical interventions of the knee for moderate to severe osteoarthritis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41494148/). *Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews*, 2026. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015378.pub2. ## How soon can I have surgery after a cortisone shot? Research found a higher infection risk when cortisone went into the same joint within three months before replacement. That doesn't set your personal date. Give the surgeon the exact procedure date, knee side and product if known. You'll need to follow the waiting period that office sets. ## How long do cortisone shots last? Average relief was strongest at one to two weeks and smaller by thirteen weeks. At twenty-six weeks, researchers couldn't tell whether cortisone still helped more than the comparison care. Your relief may be shorter or longer. Track one daily task at the same times, and you'll see whether the change matters. ## How often can cortisone be repeated? There isn't one sound interval for every person and every knee. The benefit and risk of years of repeat cortisone aren't fully known. One trial used treatment every twelve weeks for two years and found more cartilage loss. Those patients weren't less sore than people who received a salt-water shot for comparison. ## When shouldn't I have cortisone? Fever with a hot, swollen knee, a current infection or surgery planned soon needs medical advice first. Cortisone can also raise blood sugar for a while. Tell the medical provider examining you about diabetes, blood-thinning medicine and recent illness. This list isn't a substitute for having the knee examined. ## Do gel procedures help a sore knee? Gel is meant to act like the slippery fluid inside your knee. Large reviews found so little average change in soreness and movement that many patients might not notice help. Some people still report relief. Ask about the visits, full charge and when you'll stop if your daily tasks aren't easier. ## What might knee care cost in Tempe? The amount depends on the care, insurance, required visits and the clinic's current fee. This guide can't give you a sound price without a dated quote. Ask for the total in writing, including preparation and follow-up. Check your coverage before scheduling, so an unexpected bill doesn't arrive later. ## Where can I go if my knee doesn't settle? QC Kinetix (Chandler) is at 1100 S. Dobson Rd., Suite 210. McClintock Road becomes Dobson Road at the Chandler line. The clinic's medical providers examine the sore knee before explaining the choices. Regenerative treatments there may include PRP, made by spinning your blood and placing the prepared amount into the knee without surgery. ## What if I don't want knee replacement now? You can ask about exercise, medicine, a brace, a cane and short-term relief while considering surgery. Set a date to review whether sleep and daily movement are still acceptable. Waiting isn't the same as ignoring a knee that keeps getting worse. A visit with a surgeon explains replacement without committing you to an operation. ## If the soreness won't settle, talk it over QC Kinetix calls the people who examine your knee its medical providers. They can discuss regenerative treatments, including PRP made from your blood at the clinic and placed into the knee without surgery. Bring earlier procedure dates, the task you want back and any surgery timing already discussed. You'll have the facts close at hand when you talk. Book a free consultation: --- Straight answers for a sore knee. Plain answers about a sore knee, cortisone timing, non-surgical care and the nearby Chandler clinic. Plain help for a sore Tempe knee and the choices that may come next. This site is operated by the owners of the QC Kinetix Phoenix-area clinics, including the Chandler location recommended here, and those owners benefit when readers book with their clinics. © 2026 Tempe Knee Calendar. General health education only; a clinician who can examine your knee should guide personal decisions.