RESEARCH
Duloxetine for Acute Postoperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials .
Duloxetine continues to draw interest as part of multimodal analgesia after orthopedic surgery, and the latest RCT evidence helps clarify where it may fit. Across nine trials—most published in the past decade and focused on arthroplasty or lumbar spine procedures—adding duloxetine consistently reduced acute postoperative pain at 24, 48, and 72 hours. It also lowered opioid use at early postoperative time points, an appealing finding given concerns around opioid-related harms. Safety signals were reassuring, with no differences in nausea, dizziness, headache, or somnolence. Effects weren’t seen in the first few hours after surgery, and evidence quality ranged from moderate to low, but together the data suggest duloxetine can play a helpful, well-tolerated role in early postoperative pain control.
Already have an account? Log in
Unlock the Full original article
You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this original article
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
Or upgrade today and gain access to all OrthoEvidencecontent for as little as $1.99 per week.
Already have an account? Log in
0 of 4 monthly FREE articles unlocked
