title: A randomized controlled trial of intraarticular ropivacaine for pain management immediately following total knee arthroplasty.
abstract: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a commonly performed procedure for the treatment of end-stage arthritis of the knee. Pain control following TKA is difficult to manage in some patients. We examined the use of a postoperative intraarticular injection of 100 mL of 0.2% (200 mg) ropivacaine in a double-blind, prospective, placebo-controlled pilot study to evaluate its use as a pain control modality. All patients received general anesthesia. Postoperatively, patients were placed on intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with morphine. The ropivacaine group showed an early trend in lower visual analog scale (VAS) scores when compared with the placebo group. Patients receiving ropivacaine used a similar amount of narcotics compared with the placebo group. Intraarticular ropivacaine used for pain control after TKA demonstrated no statistically significant difference in lowering VAS scores or narcotic usage; therefore, intraarticular ropivacaine as a single modality is not recommended for effective pain management.
authors: Adam S
authors: AS
authors: Rosen
authors: Clifford W
authors: CW
authors: Colwell
authors: Pamela A
authors: PA
authors: Pulido
authors: Tricia L
authors: TL
authors: Chaffee
authors: Steven N
authors: SN
authors: Copp