The Analgesic Effect of Intraarticular Morphine in Osteoarthritis of Knee

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the analgesic effect of intraarticular injection with morphine and hyaluronic acid in comparison with intraarticular injection with hyaluronic acid only in the patients with osteoarthritis of knee. METHOD: Twenty four patients with degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee were assigned randomly to a morphine group (morphine+hyaluronic acid) and a hyaluronic acid group. In the morphine group, intraarticular injection with morphine and hyaluronic acid at first was applied to the knee 2 times. Then intraarticular injection with hyaluronic acid without morphine was applied in the remaining 3times. In the hyaluronic acid group, intraarticular injection with hyaluronic acid was applied to the knee 5 times. Effects were assessed on the 1st week, 5th week after treatment, and on the last follow up day by pain rating score (PRS). RESULTS: Significant change of PRS improvement was noticed in the morphine group in the 1st week after treatment compared with the hyaluronic acid group. CONCLUSION: These results showed that intraarticular injection with morphine and hyaluronic acid was a more effective treatment method than intraarticular injection with hyaluronic acid only for pain control in patients with osteoarthritis of knee.