Study Summary

One-hundred fifty patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were randomized to receive intravenous dexamethasone 8 hours prior to incision or perioperatively immediately after spinal block. The primary outcome of interest was postoperative pain measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes of interest included morphine consumption, postoperative nausea and vomiting, knee circumference, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, blood glucose levels, and infection rates. Outcomes were assessed over 48 hours postoperatively, with infection monitored for 3 months. Overall, the results of the study revealed no clinically meaningful differences in postoperative pain or inflammatory markers between groups, although small statistical differences were observed in early postoperative pain and morphine consumption. The findings suggest that both preoperative and perioperative intravenous dexamethasone provide comparable analgesic effectiveness and safety following TKA.