Andri M.T. Lubis

Medial and lateral discoid menisci: a case report

Discoid menisci on both medial and lateral tibial plateau are very rare abnormalities. We report a 44-year-old woman with bilateral medial and lateral discoid menisci. She also had anomalous insertion of discoid medial meniscus to anterior cruciate ligament, and pathologic medial patellar plica on the right knee. Meniscectomies has been performed for her torn discoid menisci with satisfactory result on the latest follow-up.

Preemptive Analgesia in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Comparing the Effects of Single Dose Combining Celecoxib with Pregabalin and Repetition Dose Combining Celecoxib with Pregabalin: Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial

Acute pain is the most common early complication after total knee arthroplasty causing delayed mobilization and increased demands of morphine, leading to higher operative cost. Several studies have assessed the effectiveness, side-effects, and ease of use of various analgesics. Preemptive analgesia with combined celecoxib and pregabalin has been reported to yield positive outcomes. In this randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial, 30 subjects underwent surgery for total knee arthroplasty using 15-20mg bupivacaine 5% epidural anesthesia. All subjects were divided into three groups. Group 1 was given celecoxib 400mg and pregabalin 150mg 1 hour before the operation, Group 2 was given celecoxib 200mg and pregabalin 75mg twice daily starting from 3 days before the operation, and Group 3 was given a placebo. The outcome was measured with Visual Analog Scale, knee range of motion, and postoperative mobilization. There was a significant difference in postoperative morphine usage between the groups that were administered with preemptive analgesia and the placebo group, but no significant difference was found between Group 1 and Group 2 that were given preemptive analgesia at different doses. ROM and postoperative mobilization were not significantly different among the three groups. Two patients in the first group, one patient in the second group, and one patient in the third group developed nausea. Preemptive analgesia is proven to reduce postoperative usage of morphine independent of the dosage. We recommend the use of combined celecoxib and pregabalin as preemptive analgesia after the total knee arthroplasty procedure. This trial is registered with NCT03523832 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Effects of Glucosamine-Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine-Chondroitin Sulfate-Methylsulfonylmethane, or Placebo in Patients with First and Second Grade of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double Blind Randomized Controlled Study.

Objectives: Combination of glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate is often prescribed for patients with first and second grade Kellgren-Lawrence osteoarthritis (OA). Numerous studies have reported significant efficacy of this supplement and also their combinations with methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) for the treatment of OA. However, controversies emerged regarding the effectiveness of these supplements. This current study evaluated the efficacy of glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate-MSM on improvement of patients with first and second grade knee OA. Methods: This study was a double blind, randomized controlled clinical trial on 147 patients with first and second grade (Kellgren-Lawrence) of knee OA. Subjects were allocated by permuted block randomization to three groups, either glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate (GC) (n=49), or glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate-MSM (GCM) (n=48), or placebo (n=50). The GC group received 1500 mg glucosamine + 1200 mg chondroitin sulfate + 500 mg saccharum lactis; GCM group received 1500 mg glucosamine + 1200 mg chondroitin sulfate + 500 mg MSM; while placebo group received three matching capsules of saccharum lactis. These drugs were administered once a day for three consecutive months. VAS and WOMAC score were measured at the baseline, then at 12th week after treatment. Data was analysed by using t-independent test. Results: At week 12, WOMAC score in placebo group was significantly higher than that in GCM group (mean difference 7.15, CI 12.06-2.23, p=0.005), and it was also higher in GC group compared to GCM group (mean difference 8.17, CI 13.49-2.84, p=0.003). Whereas VAS score at week 12 in placebo group was significantly higher compared to that in GC group (mean difference 0.18, CI 1.18-0.19, p=0.007) and to that in GCM group (mean difference 0.86, CI 1.37-0.35, p=0.001). However, there was no significant difference of WOMAC score at week 12 between placebo and GC groups (p=0.681), and of VAS score between GC and GCM groups (p=0.497). Conclusion: Combinations of glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate-MSM did not improve WOMAC and VAS scores in patients with grade I and II of knee osteoarthritis, when compared with placebo.