A randomised controlled trial for the effectiveness of intra-articular Ropivacaine and Bupivacaine on pain after knee arthroscopy: the DUPRA (DUtch Pain Relief after Arthroscopy)-trial

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282 patients scheduled for knee arthroscopy were randomized to compare the analgesic effects of two different anesthetics to a placebo. Patients received bupivacaine, ropivacaine, or NaCl (control). Results at 1 h postoperatively revealed that treatment with bupivacaine or ropivacaine led to better pain reduction when compared to the control treatment. However, no differences in pain were observed between the groups after 4h, indicating a short duration of the anesthetic effects. The small benefits of these treatments make it hard to justify this analgesic modality following knee arthroscopy, due to the possible chondrotoxic effect of bupivacaine and ropivacaine.