The Effect of Preoperative Steroids Injection on Pain and Oedema After Total Knee Arthroplasty . A Double -Blinded Randomized Controlled Study.

Total knee arthroplasty has been identified as one of the most effective surgeries for knee arthritis. Many patients experience moderate to severe pain during the early postoperative period, as the surgery involves extensive bone resection and postsurgical serum levels of cytokine interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein may be elevated.Furthermore, many patients suffer postoperative nausea and vomiting after total knee arthroplasty . The inflammatory response after TKA is pronounced and a result of cumulative effects of anaesthesia and mechanical stress . Inadequate management of postoperative pain is relevant with a series of undesirable effects, including progression to a persistent pain, delayed functional recovery, increased the economic burden and patient dissatisfaction. Steroids may be associated with decreased levels of interleukin-6 and C reactive protein and may, thus, relieve the pain associated with surgery. Dexamethasone is a long-acting glucocorticoid that has been reported to inhibit peripheral phospholipase A, which decreases the pain-aggravating agents from the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways . In addition, it reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting by exerting a central antiemetic effect by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis and the release of endogenous opioids[5] . Some studies also reported potential adverse events, such as infection .