Comparison of methylprednisolone and ketoprofen after multiple third molar extraction: a randomized controlled study

In a prospective, double blind, and randomized study, we compared methylprednisolone and ketoprofen after anesthesia for multiple third molar extraction. In addition to paracetamol, 90 patients were allocated to receive intravenously either ketoprofen 100 mg or methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg. Severity of pain was measured with visual analogue scale (VAS) in recovery room. Sixty-three percent of patients receiving methylprednisolone had a VAS score <30 mm compared with 42% of those receiving ketoprofen (P = 0.04), with no difference in the consumption of morphine. We observed only marginal difference between methylprednisolone and ketoprofen to relieve pain after this surgery.