A Simple Method Associated With Reduced Opioid Consumption After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often results in moderate to severe postoperative pain.
• Effective pain management strategies are crucial for patient recovery after TKA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of preimplantation immersion anesthesia (PIA) in reducing postoperative pain and opioid consumption following TKA.
• To evaluate the impact of intraoperative bone surface treatment with local anesthetic on patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 76 patients undergoing unilateral, cemented TKA.
• Comparison between PIA group (n=43) and control group (n=33).
• PIA involved immersing cut bone surfaces in local anesthetic before component implantation; both groups received multimodal pain management.

Main Results:

• PIA patients reported significantly lower pain scores on postoperative days 0 and 1 (P < .005).
• PIA group demonstrated a 33%-45% reduction in opioid consumption on postoperative days 0, 1, and 2 (P < .005).
• PIA was independently associated with reduced pain and opioid consumption, particularly on early postoperative days.

Conclusions:

• Preimplantation immersion anesthesia (PIA) is an effective method for significantly decreasing postoperative pain and opioid requirements after TKA.
• PIA represents a valuable adjunct to multimodal pain management protocols for TKA patients.
• Further research may explore long-term pain outcomes and patient satisfaction with PIA.