Orthopaedic review
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of intra-articular morphine and bupivacaine following knee arthroscopy.
A prospective study was conducted to investigate and compare the analgesic effect of morphine and bupivacaine injected intra-articularly following elective knee arthroscopy performed under general anesthesia without the use of a tourniquet. Cost-effectiveness of these agents was also evaluated. ⋯ Results showed that patients in Group 2 reported significantly less pain overall (P < .006) and significantly lower analgesic requirements (P < .0004) at a lower average patient cost than Group 1. We conclude that intra-articular morphine reduces postoperative pain and analgesic requirements more effectively and at a lower average patient cost than bupivacaine.