RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF MORPHINE AND TRAMADOL ADMINISTERED INTRA-ARTICULARLY FOR POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA FOLLOWING ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY

In this randomised, double-blind study, the analgesic efficacy of intr a-articular injections of morphine 1 mg and tramadol 10 mg were compar ed in 86 patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery at 2 centres. Overal l, patients who received morphine (n = 41) recorded lower scores for p ain on a visual analogue scale and consumed less supplemental analgesi a than patients treated with tramadol (n = 45), When the results from the 2 centres were combined, morphine was significantly more effective than tramadol 2 hours after surgery (p = 0.025). Although patient var iables such as gender or age did not significantly influence measures of pain, the treatment centre did have a significant effect. It appear s that intra-articular administration of morphine or tramadol is a sim ple, safe and effective means of controlling pain after arthroscopic s urgery. Morphine may have an advantage over tramadol in this indicatio n, but further studies are necessary to confirm this finding.