ObjectiveTo observe the effect of early local injection of glucocorticoids in the treatment of subacute thyroiditis (SAT), and to analyze its effects on bone metabolism.MethodsA total of 60 SAT patients in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were randomly divided into study group (early local injection of glucocorticoids) and control group (oral administration), with 30 cases in each group. All patients were treated with glucocorticoids for 8 weeks. The efficacy, symptom improvement time, inflammatory response [erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP)], thyroid function [free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)], bone metabolism [type I procollagen N-terminal propeptide (PINP), osteoprotectin(OPG)] and occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.ResultsAfter treatment, the recovery rate of the study group was higher than that of the control group (96.67% vs. 80.00%, P<0.05). The time of fever remission, pain remission and swelling remission in the study group was shorter than that in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of ESR and CRP in both groups were lower than before treatment (P<0.05), and the study group was lower than the control group (P<0.05). After 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, FT3 and FT4 of the two groups were lower than before treatment (P<0.05), and TSH were higher than before treatment(P<0.05), and FT3 and FT4 of the study group were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05), and TSH were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). After 8 weeks of treatment, the PINP of the study group was higher than that of the control group, and the OPG was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05).ConclusionEarly local injection can improve the effect of glucocorticoids on SAT, reduce inflammation, improve thyroid function, and reduce the effect of glucocorticoids on bone metabolism.