A study found that preoperative cold treatment can reduce opioid intake and pain scores in total knee replacement patients during a six-week recovery period.
The study, published in Arthroplasty Today, examined Pacira BioScience's iovera system in total knee patients who stayed at a hospital. Iovera treatment destroys tissue during surgery by applying freezing cold.
Researchers compared one surgeon's total knee replacement patients at one center to a historical control group, according to a July 28 news release. Patients who received iovera treatment had 51 percent lower daily morphine milligram equivalents compared to the control group. Their mean and maximum pain scores also decreased compared to the control group.
"Our analysis underscores the benefits of optimizing pain control in the perioperative period with the addition of iovera to a multimodal TKA pain protocol," lead author Joshua Urban, MD, said. "This approach allows patients to take fewer opioids during hospitalization and the six-week recovery period, reduce their hospital [length of stay], decrease readmission rate and face fewer postoperative complications."