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The Analgesic Efficacy of Local Anaesthetic Wound Infiltration Versus Intrathecal Morphine for Total Knee Replacement

Phase 4
Conditions
Total Knee Replacement
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT01312415
Lead Sponsor
Cork University Hospital
Brief Summary

Total knee replacement (TKR) is associated postoperatively with considerable pain and analgesic requirement. Total knee replacement is routinely performed under spinal anaesthesia with intrathecal bupivacaine plus preservative free morphine. We hypothesize that infiltration of the surgical site with peri- and intraarticular levobupivacaine local anaesthetic would be an efficacious pain management technique and would not be inferior to intrathecal morphine for postoperative pain management.

We further hypothesize that the use of this surgical site infiltration technique would decrease post-operative systemic opioid requirements as well as the side effects associated with intrathecal and systemic opioids.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
42
Inclusion Criteria
  • Patients scheduled for unilateral total knee replacement
  • Consent to spinal anaesthesia
  • ASA Grade I to III
Exclusion Criteria
  • Patient refusal
  • Mini-Mental Score < 25 (see appendix 3)
  • Allergy to bupivacaine, morphine, paracetamol, diclofenac
  • Skin lesions/infection at site of injection
  • Uncorrected renal dysfunction
  • Coagulation disorders
  • chronic pain condition other than knee pain

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
ControlIntrathecal morphinePatients will receive spinal anaesthesia with intrathecal bupivacaine 0.5% (17.5 mg if greater than 70 kg and 15 mg if less than 70 kg) and preservative-free morphine (0.3 mg).
levobupivacaine infiltrationLevobupivacainePatients will receive spinal anaesthesia with intrathecal bupivacaine (17.5 or 15 mg) without morphine, and will receive peri- and intraarticular surgical site infiltration before wound closure with a solution of levobupivacaine 0.5% 2mg/kg body weight (maximum 200mg levobupivacaine) plus 0.5mg epinephrine made up to 100ml with saline. An intra-articular catheter will be placed by the surgeon before closure under the sterile surgical conditions and this will be left in situ in the wound. The patient will receive one further injection of 15ml of levobupivacaine 0.5% at 8am the following morning.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Quality of analgesia in the postoperative period as assessed by visual analogue score (VAS) for pain at rest and on movement24 hours postoperatively
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Opioid consumption in total in the first 48 hours postoperatively48 hours postoperatively

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

St Mary Orthopedic Hospital

🇮🇪

Cork, Ireland

St Mary Orthopedic Hospital
🇮🇪Cork, Ireland

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