Evaluation of pain after arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Pain after arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate reconstruction was examined during the first 5 postoperative days to evaluate its intensity and duration. One hundred consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft were examined. During surgery, ketorolac (60 mg) was given intravenously and 0.25% bupivicaine (1 ml/kg total) was injected into the joint space and the graft donor site. After surgery, all patients received scheduled doses of oral acetaminophen (650 mg) and ketorolac (10 mg) four times a day, and they were allowed to take oral oxycodone (5 to 10 mg) every 2 hours as needed. Pain scores at rest and with activity reached a maximum on the 2nd postoperative morning. Oxycodone consumption also peaked on the 2nd postoperative day. Eighty-nine (89%) patients reported overall pain as mild or moderate, and 95 patients (95%) reported either excellent or good overall relief of pain. The 5-day cumulative mean of visual analog scale pain scores for attempting straight leg raises was significantly higher for patients unable to successfully perform that activity than for patients who were able to perform it. The association between elevated pain scores and diminished ability to perform straight leg raises suggests that pain may inhibit function and therefore early rehabilitation.