The post-operative analgesic efficacy of celecoxib compared with placebo and parecoxib after total hip or knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in combination with opioids is a model of multimodal analgesia. NSAIDs have the oral and parenteral forms.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of celecoxib compared with placebo and parecoxib after total hip or knee arthroplasty.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total of 120, ASA 1-2, aged 18-75 years, patients were randomly assigned to receive one of the three groups: Group I (control) received placebo (n=40), group II received 400 mg celecoxib orally (n=40) and group III received 40 mg parecoxib intravenously (n=40). The present study medication was administered I hour before surgery. All patients had access to patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with intravenous morphine. Patients were studied at 0, 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours postoperatively for verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS), morphine consumption, satisfaction score and side effects.

RESULTS

The intraoperatively fentayl requirement were similar among the three groups (p < 0.00). Celecoxib and parecoxib significantly decreased the amount of morphine requirement after total hip or knee arthroplasty compared to placebo at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours (p < 0.00). The celecoxib group required more morphine than the parecoxib group at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours (p < 0.00). The VNRS score in parecoxib group was significantly lower than the celecoxib and control groups at 1, 6, 12 but not at 24 hours. The VNRS score was lower in the celecoxib group compared to the control group at I and 6 hours postoperatively (p = 0.01, p < 0. 01 respectively). The placebo group had a higher sedation score (p = 0.008) but not for nausea vomiting (p = 0.36) and pruritus (p = 0.12) compared to the treatment groups.

CONCLUSION

Within 12 hours after total hip and knee arthroplasty, pre-operative administration of parenteral parecoxib 40 mg was more effective than oral celecoxib 400 mg and placebo in terms of morphine consumption and VNRS score.