Effect of intraoperative cold solution irrigation to reduce postoperative pain in knee osteoarthritis patients who underwent unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Purpose To compare the postoperative pain score, opioid consumption, and blood loss in knee osteoarthritis patients who underwent unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty with and without intraoperative cold solution irrigation. Method In total, 70 knee osteoarthritis patients were randomly included in the study and allocated into 2 groups. The first group was irrigated intraoperatively with a cold solution and the second group was irrigated intraoperatively with a room-temperature solution. Results The cold solution group showed significantly lower pain scores (numerical rating scale, NRS) at 28 hours postoperatively (p = 0.047). There were no significant differences in opioid consumption or blood loss between the groups. Conclusions Intraoperative cold solution irrigation in unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty patients may provide the benefit of early postoperative pain reduction for up to 28 hours but has no effect in terms of reducing opioid consumption or blood loss.