Iontophoresis with dexamethasone would be MOST appropriate for treatment of which condition?

• A. Supraspinatus tendinitis
• B. Patellar tendon calcium deposits
• C. Skin lesion over the lateral epicondyle
• D. Lumbar paraspinal muscle spasm

Answer: (A)

Iontophoresis with dexamethasone delivers a corticosteroid directly into inflamed soft tissue to reduce local inflammation with minimal systemic exposure. This is most effective for superficial tendinopathies where the tendon lies just under the skin, such as supraspinatus tendinitis in the shoulder. The inflammation in that tendon is accessible to the medication as it passes through the skin, helping to lessen pain and improve function.

Calcium deposits in the patellar tendon involve mineralization rather than active inflammatory edema, so a steroid delivered this way wouldn’t address the underlying issue. A skin lesion over the lateral epicondyle is more about surface tissue or skin pathology rather than deep inflammatory tendinopathy, and lumbar paraspinal muscles are too deep for reliable transcutaneous delivery to reach with iontophoresis.

So, the combination of a superficial tendon inflammation and the targeted anti-inflammatory action of iontophoretic dexamethasone makes supraspinatus tendinitis the best fit.