Intravenous corticosteroids have been used to manage pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and oral dexamethasone, with its good bioavailability, may be a practical option for ambulatory TKA. However, evidence on its optimal dosing and effectiveness for postoperative pain control remains limited. To address this gap, a study investigated the efficacy and dose–response relationship of oral dexamethasone in pain management after TKA in 120 patients aged 68 years. The study found that 16 mg of oral dexamethasone (DEX-16) and 8 mg of oral dexamethasone (DEX-8) significantly reduced pain at rest within 48 hours postoperatively compared with placebo.
However, only DEX-16 significantly reduced pain during motion. At 48 hours after surgery, the DEX-16 group showed approximately 50% reductions in pain at rest and during motion compared with the placebo group. These findings suggest that oral…
