The intra-articular use of ropivacaine for the control of post knee arthroscopy pain

Efthimios P Samoladas,Byron Chalidis,Miltos Koimtzis,Ioanis Terzidis,Thomas Ntobas,Hlias Fotiadis

doi:10.1186/1749-799x-1-17

Efthimios P Samoladas, Byron Chalidis + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1749-799x-1-17

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Abstract

AimsThe purpose of this prospective randomised study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety and the appropriate dose of the ropivacaine in the control of post-knee arthroscopy pain.MethodsWe randomised 60 patients in two groups to receive 10 ml/7.5 mg/ml ropivacaine (Group B) or 20 ml/7.5 mg/ml (Group A) at the end of a routine knee arthroscopy. We monitored the patient's blood pressure, heart rate, allergic reactions, headache, nausea, we assessed the pain using the visual analogue score at intervals of 1,2,3,4 and 6 hours after the operation. and we recorded the need for extra analgesia.ResultsThe intraarticular use of the ropivacaine provided excellent control of pain after knee arthroscopy. At two hours post-operatively there wasn't any difference between the two groups. Afterwards, the Group A showed increased pain and need for supplementary medication.ConclusionWe believe that intraarticular use of ropivacaine is effective to reduce post-operative pain minimising the use of systematic analgesia.

Highlights

Arthroscopic knee surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures done in an outpatient setting
Administration of oral opioids and non-steroid antinflammatory drugs are combined with sufficient relief of pain in the immediate postoperative period [9]. They aren't site-specific and can be burdened by side effects, such as respiratory depression, nausea or acute gastric lesions, Early post operative pain following arhroscopic knee surgery is well controled with the use of a local anaesthetic agent
No statistical difference regarding the Visual Analogue Score (VAS) at the first 2 hours was detected between the two groups

Summary

Introduction

Arthroscopic knee surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures done in an outpatient setting. Administration of oral opioids and non-steroid antinflammatory drugs are combined with sufficient relief of pain in the immediate postoperative period [9]. They aren't site-specific and can be burdened by side effects, such as respiratory depression, nausea or acute gastric lesions, Early post operative pain following arhroscopic knee surgery is well controled with the use of a local anaesthetic agent. This has confirmed in many controlled studies [1,2]. No adverse effects or toxicity attributable to the intraarticular administration of local anaesthetics were reported in this review [4]

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Conclusion