Analysis of early postoperative pain in the first and second knee in staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective controlled study

Objective: A retrospective analysis of early postoperative pain in the first and second knee in staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to provide a clinical evidence for the change of analgesic strategy.
Methods: From January 2009 to January 2013, 87 cases which meet the inclusion criterion were retrospectively reviewed. In stage TKA, the postoperative pain in the first and second knee at 24h, 48h, 72h after operation were compared using the visual analogue scale (VAS) score in the rest and maximum knee flexion position. The difference in pain scores (ΔVAS) was also compared between the second and first knee at different time intervals (less than 6 months, 6-12 months, more than 12 months). Results: The VAS scores in the second knee were significantly higher than those in the first knee at 24h, 48h after surgery, but with no difference at 72h. The ΔVAS in the group of less than 6 months was significantly higher than of those more than 6 months, and there was no difference...