Due to less tissue invasion and smaller osteotomy volume, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) typically results in less postoperative pain compared with total knee arthroplasty (TKA)[21]. However, postoperative pain in patients remains a common issue. Studies indicate that postoperative pain can affect joint function recovery, decrease surgical satisfaction, and even lead to anxiety and depression[22]. Multimodal pain management, often involving periarticular local infiltration analgesia (LIA), has become a widely used method due to its simplicity and effective pain relief[23]. However, a direct transfer of the positive results of the TKA study to UKA is not appropriate. Since UKA is less invasive, this procedure may not require as much analgesics as TKA. With more studies publishing modified LIA cocktail formulas[7–13, 18, 19], we were considering whether it is possible to alter the drugs in LIA to prolong the duration of pain relief while achieving similar clinical outcomes in analgesic effects.
In this study, we found that the VAS score of the conventional group was lower in the initial 12 hours after surgery, but this difference was not statistically significant. However, from the second postoperative day, the advantage of a modified LIA cocktail to prolong pain relief became apparent and lasted for the following 24–48 hours. Which brought patients in the modified group better knee ROM and ambulation distance from the second postoperative day. We used a PCIA instead of other forms of opioids for rescue analgesia because this method was efficient, and the consumption could be easily recorded. Administration of the modified cocktail to patients was associated with markedly reduced postsurgical PCIA medication use. In addition, the hospitalization time of the modified group was shorter. These results suggest that the modified LIA cocktail achieved analgesic effects comparable to the conventional LIA cocktail and provided longer-lasting pain relief. The rationality and safety of the magnesium sulfate and sodium bicarbonate in the modified LIA cocktail have been illustrated by Wang et al.[19] And another study also reaches similar conclusions[18]. These randomized controlled trials have indicated that the modified LIA cocktail is superior to a foundational LIA cocktail (consisting of ropivacaine, adrenaline, and dexamethasone). However, it is still unknown whether this superiority exists when compared with cocktails containing analgesics such as morphine and ketorolac. In fact, it is quite common to add analgesics to cocktails[12, 13]. And the current study has shown a comparison between the two formulations.
Magnesium sulfate has been found to improve ropivacaine action time[24]. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play a crucial in transmitting information about central pain and modulating acute hyperalgesia[25, 26]. NMDA receptors are highly permeable to calcium ions. Activation of NMDA receptors leads to calcium ions influx into the cell, increasing the excitability of spinal dorsal horn neurons, which results in the development of central sensitization and reduces the pain threshold after injury. Magnesium sulfate may prevent the activation of NMDA receptors due to the similar chemical properties of magnesium ions and calcium ions[27, 28]. For the excitation threshold of the nerve fiber membrane potential and the inflow of calcium ions, magnesium ions have a significant increasing and blocking effect, respectively, thereby enhancing the nerve-blocking effect of ropivacaine and prolonging its duration[29, 30]. Moreover, magnesium sulfate can promote the release of nitric oxide from vascular endothelial cells, preventing endothelial dysfunction secondary to ischemia-reperfusion, thereby alleviating pain[31]. The basic sodium bicarbonate can convert the non-ionized form of ropivacaine into an ionized form[32], whose affinity for the sodium canals is greater than that existing between the sodium channels and the nonionized fraction of ropivacaine[33]. In this way, an anesthetic block of extended duration is established.
It is noteworthy that mixing the modified LIA cocktail drugs directly will result in the formation of white precipitates within a few minutes due to the alkalinization of ropivacaine[34]. As a result, the appearance of the LIA cocktails of the two groups will be distinguishable (Fig. 4, the appearance of groups of cocktails), which could potentially affect the accuracy of the randomized trial. To address this issue, one simple approach could be to keep the ropivacaine separate and have a surgical technologist (not involved in the study) add it just before injection. This way, the cocktail will be nearly transparent at the time of injection, maintaining a consistent appearance with the LIA cocktail of the two groups. The white precipitate of the local anesthetic has been proven to be absorbable and safe[32, 35].
The limitations of this study arise from its short-term follow-up. We couldn't draw any conclusions about mid-term or long-term outcomes. However, it's important to note that immediate postoperative pain management is typically the most severe and crucial, as it may impede early joint function recovery. We only evaluated joint function up to 3 days after surgery. Future studies could investigate whether the two groups have differences in long-term results, but the authors of the present study do not expect this to be the case. Another limitation is that the doses of LIA cocktails were chosen based on the recommendations of previous studies. Future studies could investigate the optimal dosage of drugs. Moreover, other multimodal analgesia modalities, such as peripheral nerve blocks, general corticosteroids, and intraoperative ketamine, were not involved. These multimodal methods may bring better outcomes. However, despite the above limitations, the results of this study are consistent. We will continue to use the modified LIA cocktail in subsequent UKA surgeries and observe its long-term clinical outcomes.
Figure 4, the appearance of groups of cocktails