Intra-articular Morphine Versus Bupivacaine for Postoperative Pain Management

This report has been verified by one or more authors of the original publication.

Eighty-two patients who were scheduled to undergo arthroscopic meniscectomy with or without chondral debridement were randomly assigned into 1 of 2 groups to compare the postoperative analgesic effect of intra-articular morphine to intra-articular bupivacaine. Results demonstrated that both methods were comparable in the effect they had on postoperative pain 24 hours after hospital discharge. Neither morphine nor bupivacaine lead to a significant increase in postoperative side effects, such as nausea, itching, or dry mouth.