Ketorolac Administered in the Recovery Room for Acute Pain Management Does Not Affect Healing Rates of Femoral and Tibial Fractures.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether ketorolac administered in the immediate perioperative period affects the rate of nonunion in femoral and tibial shaft fractures.

DESIGN

Retrospective comparative study.

SETTING

Single Institution, Academic Level 1 Trauma Center.

PATIENTS: Three hundred and thirteen skeletally mature patients with 137 femoral shaft (OTA 32) and 191 tibial shaft (OTA 42) fractures treated with intramedullary rod fixation.

INTERVENTION: Eighty patients with 33 femoral shaft and 52 tibial shaft fractures were administered ketorolac within the first 24 hours after surgery (group 1-study group). Two-hundred thirty-three patients with 104 femoral shaft and 139 tibial shaft fractures were not (group 2-control group).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Rate of reoperation for repair of a nonunion and time to union.

RESULTS

Average time to union of the femur was 147 days for group 1 and 159 days for group 2 (P = 0.57). Average time to union of the tibia was 175 days for group 1 and 175 days for group 2 (P = 0.57). There were 3 femoral nonunions (9%) in group 1 and eleven femoral nonunions (11.6%) in group 2 (P = 1.00). There were 3 tibial nonunions (5.8%) in group 1 and 17 tibial nonunions (12.2%) in group 2 (P = 0.29). The average dose of ketorolac for patients who healed their fracture was 85 mg, whereas it was 50 mg for those who did not (P = 0.27). All patients with a nonunion in the study group were current smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

Ketorolac administered in the first 24 hours after fracture repair for acute pain management does not seem to have a negative impact on time to healing or incidence of nonunion for femoral or tibial shaft fractures.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.