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Background The aim of this article is to describe the technique used to perform ultrasound guided steroid joint injections in children in a group of joints that can be injected using ultrasound as the only image guidance modality. Findings The technique is described and didactic figures are provided to illustrate key technical concepts. Conclusion It is very important to be familiar with the sonographic appearance of the pediatric joints and the developing bone when performing ultrasound-guided joint injections in children.

Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of all JIA patients who received IACI from 6/05 to 3/10, and had at least six months of follow-up. Data collected included demographic information, JIA subtype, date of injection and arthritis flare, type of joint injected and concomitant medications. Any joint that did not flare by the study end date in 9/10 was censored. Time to flare of arthritis was calculated based on the Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator. Two-sided log-rank test was conducted to compare the time to flare within each characteristic group: joints, diagnosis, medications. All analysis in this study was performed using SAS 9.2 (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC).