Naproxen suppositories in postoperative pain and swelling after joint surgery. A comparative, double-blind study

Altogether 105 rheumatic patients, 35 in each of three groups, took part in a double-blind parallel study comparing naproxen (Naprosyn, Syntex) 500 mg suppositories with oxyphenbutazone (Tanderil, Geigy) 250 mg suppositories and placebo in postoperative pain and swelling after joint surgery. Medication was administered twice daily for 3 1/2 days, starting the night before operation. Ketogan (Ketobemidonhydrochloride, 3 dimethylamino-1-diphenylbuten-(1)-hydrochloride) injections and Paralgin Forte (Paracetamol, codein phosphate) tablets were allowed as escape medication. Each day clinical assessments including pain-score, oedema-score and circumference of operated joint were performed and amount of escape medication recorded. A physical test was performed on day seven after operation. No statistically significant difference between groups was observed for most parameters. In general the tendency for all parameters seems to favour naproxen. For pain-score the difference was significant (p = 0.02) in arthrodesis/arthroplasty patients day 1 and for need for Ketogan injections (p less than 0.001) in all patients day 0. Only two side effects were recorded during the study. In the present study no significant difference between the groups could be observed for most parameters measured. The tendency seems to favour naproxen, but a larger number of patients will be needed to investigate whether this observation is of significance.