Pain Management T echniques i n Hip a nd Knee A rthroplasty: A Review o f Literature

Adequate control of postoperative pain following hip and knee arthroplasty can be a challenging task [ 1,2 ] . Previous studies have shown that over 50% of patients undergoing surgery report postoperative pain as a major concern [ 3 ] .Inadequate control of pai n may result in patient dissatisfaction, impaired patient rehabilitation, and prolonged hospitalizations [ 3 ] . The negative influence of postoperative pain on rehabilitation is particularly concerning for patients undergoing joint replacement. Functional recovery and return of muscle strength is dependent on the ability of these patients to comply with rehabilita tion. The drawbacks of inadequate rehabilitation are especially cumbersome in hip and knee surgeries, since faster mobilization leads to quicker discharge from the hospital. Furthermore, studies have shown that recovery from knee arthroplasty is prolonged up to 50 days postoperatively, far greater than recovery from hip replacement [ 4 ] . Pain control is especially important for knee arthroplasty patients to allow recovery of range of motion and muscle strength for ambulation [ 5 ]