[Postoperative analgesia with intraarticular local anesthetic bupivacaine and alpha2-agonist clonidine after arthroscopic knee surgery].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of intraarticular 0.5% 20 ml bupivacaine and compound of bupivacaine with alpha2-agonist clonidine for postoperative analgesia after arthroscopic knee surgery. A total of 48 patients, scheduled for knee arthroscopy, were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to three different groups: placebo (group C), and two experimental groups that received one of the following double-blinded intraarticular solutions: 0.5% 20 ml of bupivacaine (group B) and 0.5% 20 ml of bupivacaine with l microg/kg of clonidine (group B+C). Patients were asked to evaluate on a visual analogy scale (VAS) the intensity of pain at rest and during motion, satisfaction with postoperative analgesia. Side effects and requirements for supplemental analgetics were recorded at the same time.


RESULTS
Postoperative analgesia was good in the groups B and B+C (VAS<3). The pain was controlled most effectively in the patients of group B+C compared to placebo group (p<0.05). The demand for supplemental analgetics after surgery was also lower in this group. The patients of group B+C had shown the most satisfaction with postoperative analgesia.


CONCLUSIONS
The compound of intraarticular bupivacaine and clonidine suppresses pain better than intraarticular injection of bupivacaine or use of usual systemic analgetics (p<0.05). Intraarticular analgesia assures satisfaction with anesthesiologic procedure.
Tamosiūnas
Ramūnas
R
Clinic of Anesthesiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Eiveniu 2, 50009 Kaunas, Lithuania. armida@mail.lt
Brazdzionyte
Egle
E
Tarnauskaite-Augutiene
Armida
A
Tranauskaite-Keraitiene
Grazina
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001182:Arthroscopy; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011182:Postoperative Care
D000700:Analgesics; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D003000:Clonidine; D002045:Bupivacaine