2013 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 91-94
After arthrolysis of a stiff knee joint, it is often difficult to maintain intraoperative range of motion (ROM) because of pain in postoperative rehabilitation. Therefore, appropriate analgesia is important for rehabilitation. Previously we reported the efficacy of local infusion analgesia (LINFA) using an intra-articular double lumen catheter after total knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to document the effect of our LINFA for patients with stiff knees. We present a case series study, in which 4 patients were treated for arthrofibrosis of the knee after pyogenic arthritis. The disease duration ranged from 5 to 22 weeks, preoperative ROM was 80-100 degrees, and the minimum follow-up period was 6 months. All patients underwent arthroscopic arthrolysis of the stiff knee, followed by placement of an indwelling double-lumen catheter. For LINFA, bolus injection of 10 mL of 0.75% ropivacaine was performed through the smaller tube of the double- lumen catheter. The larger tube for suction drainage was clamped for 1 h following injection of the analgesic. Immediately after the injection, ROM excercise was performed at least twice a day. Intraoperative ROM was 125-145 degrees, and the ROM at final follow-up was 130-150 degrees. There were no serious adverse effects such as infection, nerve injury, or skin trouble. Our results show that LINFA for arthrolysis of the knee joint is a safe and efficient method of treatment.
