Peri- and Postoperative Pain Management in Multiple Ligament Knee Surgery in the Hospital and Ambulatory Surgery Center Setting.

Abstract

The multiligament knee injury presents as a complex injury pattern that has substantial potential to cause long-term disability. Patients who sustain this injury pattern experience significant pain not only immediately following injury but also throughout the perioperative and postoperative period. Treating pain with major orthopaedic procedures is challenging but technical success of a surgical repair becomes trivial when pain is not effectively managed. This article will (1) provide an outline of the types of pain most often sustained in the multiligament knee injury, (2) outline the phases of pain management for this injury, and (3) provide an overview of persistent postoperative pain. The principles of multimodal analgesia in combination with effective regional anesthesia and attentive intraoperative management can position patients for successful rehabilitation and recovery.