EFFECTS OF INTRAARTICULAR MORPHINE ON ANALGESIC REQUIREMENTS AFTER ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT REPAIR

Background and Objectives. Intraarticular morphine has been shown to p rovide postoperative pain relief after knee arthroscopy. The analgesia results from local action within the knee joint. This study was condu cted to assess the efficacy of intraarticular morphine as a treatment for postoperative pain after anterior cruciate ligament repair. Method s. A randomized double blind-study was conducted in patients undergoin g elective anterior cruciate ligament repair. Patients in the study gr oup (n = 10) received intraarticularly 5 mg of morphine in a 25 ml dil ution. Those in the control group (n = 10) received 25 ml of saline by the same route. Intravenous morphine with patient-controlled analgesi a was used in the postoperative period in both the groups. Visual anal og scores were recorded at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours after the operatio n. The amount of morphine used over the 24-hour postoperative period w as documented. Results. The total consumption of morphine over the 24- hour period was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in the study group comp ared to the control group. The postoperative pain scores were lower in the study group throughout the study period, but this did not reach s tatistical significance. Conclusions. Intraarticular morphine reduces analgesic requirements after anterior cruciate ligament repair and is an effective method of providing postoperative analgesia.