The Effect of Preoperative Intra-Articular Methylprednisolone on Pain After TKA: A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo Controlled Trial in Patients With High-Pain Knee Osteoarthritis and Sensitization

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Effect of Preoperative Intra-Articular Methylprednisolone on Pain After TKA

T2 - A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo Controlled Trial in Patients With High-Pain Knee Osteoarthritis and Sensitization

AU - Luna, Iben E

AU - Kehlet, Henrik

AU - Jensen, Claus M

AU - Christiansen, Thorbjørn G

AU - Lind, Thomas

AU - Stephensen, Snorre L

AU - Aasvang, Eske K

N1 - Copyright © 2017 The American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - In a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial, we investigated the postoperative analgesic effect of a single intra-articular injection of 40 mg methylprednisolone acetate (MP) administered 1 week before total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Forty-eight patients with high pain osteoarthritis (≥5 on a numeric rating scale during walk) and sensitization (pressure pain threshold <250 kPa), aged 50 to 80 years and scheduled for primary unilateral TKA under spinal anaesthesia were included. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with moderate/severe pain during a 5-m walk test 24 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included pain at 48 hours, during the first 14 days, sensitization (quantitative sensory testing with pressure pain threshold and wind-up from temporal summation), and inflammatory changes (systemic C-reactive protein, intra-articular interleukin [IL]-6). No difference in the proportion of patients with moderate/severe pain was found between MP/placebo groups at 24 hours (67% and 74%, χ 2 = .2, P = .63, odds ratio = .7, 95% confidence interval = .2-2.8) or at 48 hours (57% and 68%, χ 2 = .5, P = .46, odds ratio = .6, 95% confidence interval = .2-2.3), and no difference between groups in postoperative sensitization was found (P > .4) despite reduced preoperative intra-articular inflammation (IL-6) in the MP group versus placebo (median change in IL-6 = -70 pg/mL, interquartile range = -466 to 0 vs. 32 pg/mL, interquartile range = -26 to 75, P = .029). Alternative central or peripheral analgesic interventions in this high-risk group are required. Perspective: Peripherally driven inflammatory pain and nociceptive changes before TKA has been suggested to be a cause for increased acute postoperative pain. However, preoperative intra-articular MP in patients with high pain osteoarthritis and sensitization did not reduce acute post-TKA pain or sensitization despite a preoperative reduction of intra-articular inflammatory markers.

AB - In a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial, we investigated the postoperative analgesic effect of a single intra-articular injection of 40 mg methylprednisolone acetate (MP) administered 1 week before total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Forty-eight patients with high pain osteoarthritis (≥5 on a numeric rating scale during walk) and sensitization (pressure pain threshold <250 kPa), aged 50 to 80 years and scheduled for primary unilateral TKA under spinal anaesthesia were included. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with moderate/severe pain during a 5-m walk test 24 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included pain at 48 hours, during the first 14 days, sensitization (quantitative sensory testing with pressure pain threshold and wind-up from temporal summation), and inflammatory changes (systemic C-reactive protein, intra-articular interleukin [IL]-6). No difference in the proportion of patients with moderate/severe pain was found between MP/placebo groups at 24 hours (67% and 74%, χ 2 = .2, P = .63, odds ratio = .7, 95% confidence interval = .2-2.8) or at 48 hours (57% and 68%, χ 2 = .5, P = .46, odds ratio = .6, 95% confidence interval = .2-2.3), and no difference between groups in postoperative sensitization was found (P > .4) despite reduced preoperative intra-articular inflammation (IL-6) in the MP group versus placebo (median change in IL-6 = -70 pg/mL, interquartile range = -466 to 0 vs. 32 pg/mL, interquartile range = -26 to 75, P = .029). Alternative central or peripheral analgesic interventions in this high-risk group are required. Perspective: Peripherally driven inflammatory pain and nociceptive changes before TKA has been suggested to be a cause for increased acute postoperative pain. However, preoperative intra-articular MP in patients with high pain osteoarthritis and sensitization did not reduce acute post-TKA pain or sensitization despite a preoperative reduction of intra-articular inflammatory markers.

KW - Inflammation

KW - Methylprednisolone

KW - Osteoarthritis

KW - Postoperative pain

KW - Total knee arthroplasty

KW - inflammation

KW - osteoarthritis

KW - postoperative pain

KW - methylprednisolone

U2 - 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.07.010

DO - 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.07.010

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28842370

SN - 1526-5900

VL - 18

SP - 1476

EP - 1487

JO - The Journal of Pain

JF - The Journal of Pain

IS - 12

ER -