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Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 88-B, Issue 12,
1603-1605.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.88B12.17740 Copyright © 2006 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery The efficacy of intra-articular bupivacaine for relief of pain following arthroscopy of the ankleF. Middleton, MBBS, FRCS(Tr & Orth), MA(Oxon), Specialist Registrar in Trauma and Orthopaedics1; J. Coakes, BM, MRCP, Specialist Registrar in Anaesthesia2; S. Umarji, BMBCh, MRCS, MA(Oxon), Specialist Registrar in Trauma and Orthopaedics3; S. Palmer, MBBS, MSc, FRCS(Tr & Orth), Consultant in Trauma and Orthopaedics4; R. Venn, MD, FRCA, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care4; and S. Panayiotou, MBBS, FRCA, Consultant in Anaesthesia4
1 St Peters Hospital, Guilford Road, Chertsey KT16 0PZ, UK. Correspondence should be sent to Miss F. Middleton at 18 Wodeland Avenue, Guildford GU2 4JX, UK; e-mail: fionamiddleton{at}doctors.org.uk
The intra-articular injection of local anaesthetic is frequently used for pain relief after arthroscopy. There is, however, no published evidence of the analgesic effect of bupivacaine in the ankle. In a randomised, double-blind study, 35 patients undergoing arthroscopy of the ankle were allocated to receive intra-articular saline or bupivacaine. Pain was assessed using pain scores and additional analgesic requirements. Intra-articular bupivacaine had a significant analgesic effect in the immediate post-operative period, reducing pain scores and the need for additional analgesics. We recommend the use of intra-articular bupivacaine for post-operative analgesia in ankle surgery.
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