title: Methylprednisolone reduces pain and decreases knee swelling in the first 24 h after fast-track unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) results in less operative trauma and faster patient recovery than after a conventional total knee arthroplasty. Despite an increased focus on multimodal analgesic strategies, there is still a substantial level of patient-reported pain in the early postsurgical period after UKA. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of a single preoperative dose of systemic methylprednisolone on postsurgical pain after fast-track UKA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two patients in two consecutive series undergoing unilateral UKA were included in a prospective cohort study. The patients (n = 35) in the treatment group received a single preoperative dose of systemic methylprednisolone 125 mg, whereas the control group (n = 37) did not. Outcome measures were postsurgical pain at rest and during walking, consumption of opioids for pain rescue, knee swelling and knee range of motion, and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first 24 h after surgery, the treatment group had less pain at rest (p < 0.001) and during walking (p < 0.001) and less consumption of opioids (p = 0.01) in comparison with the control group. Furthermore, the treatment group had 2.2 cm less knee swelling (p = 0.02) in the first post-operative day, and better knee extension (p = 0.004), whereas knee flexion was similar (n.s.) between groups. No serious complications were associated with the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Addition of a single preoperative dose of 125 mg systemic methylprednisolone to a multimodal analgesic regime significantly reduced postsurgical pain and opioid consumption and decreased knee swelling in the first 24 h after fast-track UKA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic study, Level II.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Clinic for Hand, Hip and Knee Surgery, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Lægårdvej 12, 7500, Holstebro, Denmark. soeren.rytter@vest.rm.dk.|Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. soeren.rytter@vest.rm.dk.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rytter
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Clinic for Hand, Hip and Knee Surgery, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Lægårdvej 12, 7500, Holstebro, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Maiken
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stilling
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Clinic for Hand, Hip and Knee Surgery, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Lægårdvej 12, 7500, Holstebro, Denmark.|The Lundbeck Center for Fast-Track Hip and Knee Arthroplasty, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Stig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munk
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Clinic for Hand, Hip and Knee Surgery, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Lægårdvej 12, 7500, Holstebro, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.|The Lundbeck Center for Fast-Track Hip and Knee Arthroplasty, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Torben Bæk
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000588:Amines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000379:methods*; D000068579:Celecoxib / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004487:Edema / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D000082:Acetaminophen; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin; D000068579:Celecoxib; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Glucocorticoids; Knee; Methylprednisolone; Postsurgical pain; Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty; Unicondylar knee replacement