Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2001
Meta AnalysisA systematic review of the peripheral analgesic effects of intraarticular morphine.
The analgesic effects of intraarticular morphine are controversial. To systematically evaluate the effects, we performed a review of the literature and a metaanalysis of the peripheral effects of morphine injected intraarticularly. Research databases were searched to identify articles in which peripheral analgesic effects of morphine were studied in patients undergoing arthroscopic knee procedures under local, regional, or general anesthesia. ⋯ A systemic effect of peripherally-injected morphine was not possible to exclude because of the very limited data available. We conclude from this metaanalysis that intraarticularly administered morphine has a definite but mild analgesic effect. It may be dose dependent, and a systemic effect cannot be completely excluded.