NIMESULIDE BETA-CYCLODEXTRIN (NIMESULIDE-BETADEX) VERSUS NIMESULIDE IN THE TREATMENT OF RAIN AFTER ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY

This study examined the efficacy of nimesulide beta cyclodextrin (nime sulide-betadex) in the relief of pain after arthroscopic surgery of th e knee. In this double-masked study, 185 patients requiring analgesia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery were randomly allocated to receive a single dose of either nimesulide-betadex (n = 9 3) or nimesulide (n = 92). patients assessed pain intensity using a 10 0-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes after treatment. Both treatments were highly effective in reducing pain intensity. In the nimesulide-betadex group, a statistic ally significant reduction in pain intensity compared with baseline wa s observed 15 minutes after treatment, whereas for nimesulide a signif icant difference was not reached until 30 minutes after treatment. The two treatments were bioequivalent with respect to overall extent of p ain relief as measured by the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 90 minutes. In both groups the majority of patients (71%) as sessed overall efficacy as good or excellent, and more than 76% assess ed tolerability as excellent. This study demonstrates that nimesulide- betadex has a more rapid onset of analgesic action than nimesulide, wi th an equivalent analgesic effect, and may offer a useful alternative in postoperative cases in which rapid relief of pain is required.