Analgesic effect of intra-articular morphine after arthroscopic knee surgery in Chinese patients.
BACKGROUND
Small or systematically inactive doses of morphine administered into the knee joint during intra-articular surgery can elicit potent and long-lasting postoperative analgesia. The reports studied in USA, Spain, UK, Germany, Ireland, etc. showed that intra-articular morphine 0.5-5 mg could produce a significant analgesic effect with an onset time of 0-6 h after administration and a duration of 24-48 h. However, there were no available data about the Chinese people; therefore, this study was designed to collect the data regarding this subject.


METHODS
Forty patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery under spinal anesthesia were randomly divided into two groups. At the end of surgery, group 1 received intra-articular morphine sulfate 1 mg in normal saline 10 ml, while group 2 received intra-articular 0.5% bupivacaine 10 ml for postoperative pain relief.


RESULTS
The results showed that all pain scores were lower in morphine group than in bupivacaine group from 6 to 24 h after surgery. Supplemental analgesic consumption was significantly greater in the bupivacaine group than in the morphine group from 6 to 24 h postoperatively. These results were quite similar with those presented in other races.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that intra-articular morphine 1 mg in Chinese patients could provide an effective and long-lasting analgesic effect, which was quite similar with the result presented in other races.
Ho
S T
ST
Department of Anesthesiology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Wang
J J
JJ
Liaw
W J
WJ
Wong
C S
CS
Cherng
C H
CH
D000328:Adult; D001182:Arthroscopy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
D009020:Morphine