Effects of an Intraoperative Periarticular Injection in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction .
Intraoperative Periarticular Injection May Improve Postoperative Pain Scores and Reduce Opioid Consumption in Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery.
Arthroscopy. 2025 01-Oct:. 10.1016/j.arthro.2025.03.014This assessor-blinded randomized clinical trial assessed 300 patients undergoing primary arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction were randomized to receive either periarticular injection (PAI) or no periarticular injection (nPAI). After losses to follow-up related to COVID-19 infection, 288 patients were included in the final analysis, with 142 patients in the PAI group and 146 patients in the nPAI group. All procedures were performed under spinal anesthesia using hamstring tendon autograft with standardized surgical and rehabilitation protocols. The primary outcomes were postoperative pain measured using visual analog scale scores and cumulative opioid consumption expressed as morphine milligram equivalents. Secondary outcomes included narcotic-related adverse events and patient satisfaction. Outcomes were assessed in the postoperative acute care unit and at 4, 8, and 24 hours, 2 days, and before discharge, with adverse events tracked to 2 weeks. Overall, the results of the study revealed that intraoperative periarticular injection significantly reduced early postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption compared with no periarticular injection, with a higher proportion of patients achieving clinically meaningful pain relief at 24 hours and fewer narcotic-related adverse events.
Unlock the Full ACE Report
You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now
Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics