2017 ISAKOS Congress : Pain management in total knee arthroplasty: efficacy of an opiate-free protocol

50 patients scheduled for total knee arthroplasty were randomized to an analgesic regimen consisting of either intraoperative local infiltration of a solution of ropivacaine and ketorolac, or to a continuous intravenous infusion of buprenorphine postoperatively. Patients were assessed for pain and functional outcomes, as well as laboratory results for hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein. VAS pain score was significantly lower in the LIA group on the day of surgery. Otherwise, all outcomes over the first 40 days after surgery did not significantly differ between groups.