EFFICACY OF INTRA-ARTICULAR DEXMEDETOMIDINE FOR POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA IN ARTHROSCOPIC KNEE SURGERY

Abstract

Introduction: Post-operative pain is very common distressing symptom after any surgical procedure. Different drugs in different routes have been used for controlling post-arthroscopic pain. We have compared the efficacy of analgesic effect of plain ropivacaine versus ropivacaine with dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant when administered through the intra-articular route in arthroscopic knee surgery. Materials and Methods: from June 2017 to June 2019 sixty patients undergoing elective knee arthroscopy were randomly assigned to two groups (n=30). Group R received 19 ml of 0.50% ropivacaine and 1 ml of isotonic saline (total volume 20 ml) intraarticularly. Group RD received 100 μg (1 ml) of dexmedetomidine added to 19 ml of 0.50% ropivacaine intra-articularly (total 20ml). Pain was assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS) and diclofenac sodium given as rescue analgesia when VAS>4.Time of first analgesia request and total dose of rescue analgesics used in 24 hours were calculated. Results: VAS score was significantly lower in Group RD, time to first analgesic requirement was significantly greater in Group RD than in Group R and total dose of analgesics used in Group RD patients was significantly less compared to patients in Group R. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine, added as adjunct to ropivacaine in patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, improves the quality and duration of postoperative analgesia.