P Liu1, W S Guo2, Q D Zhang2, W G Wang2, Y Zhang3, Y Y Wang3. 1. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. 2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China. 3. Peking University, China-Japan Friendship Clinical Medical College, Beijing 100029, China.
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intraoperative betamethasone periarticular injection in patients undergoing primary unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Methods:Seventy patients with knee anteromedial osteoarthritis who underwent the primary unilateral UKA in China-Japan Friendship Hospital from July 2017 to October 2018 were randomized into two groups with random number table. In the group A, an analgesic mixture of morphine, ropivacaine, epinephrine, ketorolac and betamethasone was infiltrated intraoperatively into the soft tissue. While in the group B, a same volume of mixture without betamethasone was injected alternatively. The visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain and analgesic consumption were evaluated to compare the effectiveness of pain control between the two groups. In addition, maximal flexion of the knee andinitial time of the straight leg raising were monitored. Complications were assessed too. The data were compared with independent-sample t test. Results: No significant differences in VAS score was found between the groups at 6 h and 12 h after the operation (t=-1.154, -1.108, both P>0.05), but the pain level and analgesic consumption were significantly lower in the group A from 18 h to 72 h post operation (t=-2.959, -2.808, -2.080, -2.519, -3.378, -3.237, all P<0.05). The maximal flexion in group A was significantly higher than that in the group B from 1 d to 3 d (t=2.985, 4.575, 4.013, all P<0.05). The straight leg raising ability and incidence of complications were similar between the groups (χ(2)=0.141, 0.000, both P>0.05). Conclusions: The cocktail analgesics injection containing small dose of betamethasone during UKA can provide effective acute pain control early after the surgery, which is conducive to knee joint function, and it does not increase the incidence of postoperative complications.
RCT Entities:
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intraoperative betamethasone periarticular injection in patients undergoing primary unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Methods: Seventy patients with knee anteromedial osteoarthritis who underwent the primary unilateral UKA in China-Japan Friendship Hospital from July 2017 to October 2018 were randomized into two groups with random number table. In the group A, an analgesic mixture of morphine, ropivacaine, epinephrine, ketorolac and betamethasone was infiltrated intraoperatively into the soft tissue. While in the group B, a same volume of mixture without betamethasone was injected alternatively. The visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain and analgesic consumption were evaluated to compare the effectiveness of pain control between the two groups. In addition, maximal flexion of the knee andinitial time of the straight leg raising were monitored. Complications were assessed too. The data were compared with independent-sample t test. Results: No significant differences in VAS score was found between the groups at 6 h and 12 h after the operation (t=-1.154, -1.108, both P>0.05), but the pain level and analgesic consumption were significantly lower in the group A from 18 h to 72 h post operation (t=-2.959, -2.808, -2.080, -2.519, -3.378, -3.237, all P<0.05). The maximal flexion in group A was significantly higher than that in the group B from 1 d to 3 d (t=2.985, 4.575, 4.013, all P<0.05). The straight leg raising ability and incidence of complications were similar between the groups (χ(2)=0.141, 0.000, both P>0.05). Conclusions: The cocktail analgesics injection containing small dose of betamethasone during UKA can provide effective acute pain control early after the surgery, which is conducive to knee joint function, and it does not increase the incidence of postoperative complications.