Simultaneous Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty Retrospective Case Control Study: Does Genicular Injection Application Yield a More Effective Pain Control Compared with Periarticular Injection?

Abstract Background:The aim of the present study was to investigate the hypothesis that administering the analgesic solution prepared for periarticular injection as a genicular injection to patients undergoing bilateral knee arthroplasty has equivalent effect to periarticuler injection and provides equal or enhanced pain control. Thus, these two different practices were compared. Methods: This was a case control study, during which simultaneous bilateral knee arthroplasty patients were evaluated retrospectively. The analgesic solution prepared for periarticular injection was applied as a genicular injection to one knee of each of 30 patients operated on in the same session, and was applied as standard periarticular injection to the other knee. The study group comprised the patients operated on in the same session who were subject to genicular infiltration anaesthesia and the control group consisted of patients with standard periarticular infiltration anaesthesia administered to the other knee. The study data are summarized via descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, etc.). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 software. Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test was used for comparisons. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0,05. Results: Pain scores were lower during the early postoperative period in the knees of patients who received the genicular injection (p<0.005). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with regard to drainage volume, complications and range of joint motion. Conclusions: Genicular injection is a reliable and effective procedure for early postoperative pain control.