The effect of intravenous tenoxicamin early postoperative pain following arthroscopic knee surgery

Abstract

In a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled study, 40 patients with an age range 18-55 (mean 31.9) years, received either tenoxicam or plasebo (saline) intravenously at the completion of arthroscopic knee surgery. The patients demographics and visual-analogue scale scores (VAS) were preoperatively similar in two groups. At the end of surgery before tournquet release the following were injected intravenously; group 1, 20 mg tenoxicam; group 2, 5 cc saline. postoperative pain was assessed with a VAS and antiinflamatory effect was assessed by measuring the circumference of the knee joint. In the tenoxicam group, pain scores were significantly Iower than the plasebo group for the first 12 hours and there were no supplemental analgesic requirements. 18 patients (90%) needed for supplemental analgesic agents in the saline group. Antiinflammatory effects of the both groups were similar and there were no significant differences. We found that at the early postoperative period of the arthroscopic knee surgery, intravenous tenoxicam decreased hospitalization period and allowed early knee rehabilitation.