Pain research & management : the journal of the Canadian Pain Society = journal de la société canadienne pour le traitement de la douleur
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Gabapentin decreases morphine consumption and improves functional recovery following total knee arthroplasty.
Moderate to severe pain after total knee arthroplasty often interferes with postoperative rehabilitation and delays discharge from hospital. The present study examined the effects of a four-day postoperative gabapentin (GBP) regimen versus placebo on opioid consumption, pain scores and knee flexion, as well as adverse effects, after total knee arthroplasty. ⋯ These results support the use of GBP in the acute postoperative period. Further trials are needed to delineate the optimal dose, timing and duration of GBP use following surgery.