Riassunto dello studio

40 patients undergoing a partial arthroscopic meniscectomy were randomized to receive an intra-articular injection of bupivacaine (n=20) or an extra-articular injection of bupivacaine (n=20). The primary outcome of interest was pain on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). In addition, additional analgesic use and narcotic consumption were recorded. Follow-up occurred within the first 48 hours post-operation. The results of the trial demonstrated no differences between intra-articular and extra-articular administration in VAS pain intensity. With regards to pain relief medication consumption, no differences were observed between the two groups, with a 22.5% consumption rate at 48 hours post-operatively across all patients. The drug of choice was dipyrone, particularly in the intra-articular group. Compared to the intra-articular group, the extra-articular group preferred opioids and NSAIDs.