<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">A combination of intravenous and periarticular corticosteroids did not enhance pain control in patients having total knee arthroplasty (TKA), but may improve important measures of functional recovery in the days after surgery, according to a study.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The trial was published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. The journal is part of the Lippincott portfolio and is published in collaboration with Wolters Kluwer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Intravenous (IV) plus periarticular (PA) steroids "yielded more significant improvements in the rehabilitation parameters," such as knee movement and walking distance, according to the report by TCW Chan, MBBS, of Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, and colleagues. "Thus, there was more robust evidence that corticosteroids enhanced functional recovery in the patients who received both PA and IV corticosteroids than in those who received intravenous corticosteroids only."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Trial compares two routes of corticosteroid administration for TKA</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TKA is a widely performed and cost-effective procedure, but many patients experience substantial postoperative pain. Previous studies have reported effective pain relief and improved mobilisation after TKA with either IV or PA corticosteroid administration.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chan and colleagues aimed to assess whether a combination of IV and PA corticosteroids could provide further improvement. In the new study, 178 patients undergoing initial TKA were randomly assigned to receive IV, PA, or IV plus PA corticosteroids. A fourth group received inactive placebo injections. All patients received standard opioid medications for pain.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pain relief and key rehabilitation parameters were compared across groups. Patients and the researchers evaluating outcomes were both blinded to the treatment the patients received.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In first few postoperative days, pain scores at rest and during movement were significantly lower for patients who received IV corticosteroids, with or without PA corticosteroids, as compared with the placebo group. Patients who received PA corticosteroids alone had no reduction in pain scores compared with the placebo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The combined use of IV plus PA corticosteroids led to improvement in several physical measures during rehabilitation. At three days, flexion in the operated knee was better for patients who received IV plus PA corticosteroids compared with the placebo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The IV plus PA corticosteroid group also had greater quadriceps muscle strength and longer walking distances during the first three postoperative days, as well as higher scores on an elderly mobility scale. Some parameters, but not all, were also improved for patients who received IV or PA corticosteroids alone, as compared with the placebo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Patients who received IV plus PA corticosteroids were also more likely to be discharged home from the hospital, rather than to a rehabilitation facility (67% compared with 38% in the placebo group). Rates of discharge to home were 55% with IV corticosteroids alone and 59% with PA corticosteroids alone. HT</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>