Objective To evaluate the effect of a model of nurses’ pain management practice after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods Two cohorts of 100 TKA patients were selected from Department of joint surgery

the First Affiliated Hospital (Sun Yat-Sen University) before and after the initiation of the protocol from February 2009 to September 2009. They were divided into s tudy group (n =50) and control group (n =50). fifty patients of the study group received a model of nurses’ pain management practice:All patients pro-operation 48 hours and post-operation 24 hours the next day for celecoxib (Celebrex) 200 mg bid (after 6 hours 400mg orally)

paracetamol and tramadol a tid oral

continuous use of 14 days，and received intraoperative periarticular injection of multimodal drugs (consisting of 10 g/L ropivacaine20 Ml

morphine 5 mg

normal saline 60 mL)

drug injection around the joint not used in patients of the control group. Pethidine used in patients with pain after the first 6 hours

the same dose given as the case once again. activities and visual analogue pain score were recorded before and after surgery. Clinical follow-up included EuroQol (EQ-5D) scores

preoperative and postoperative KSS knee score. Results 88 patients involved in the result analys 1.visual analogue pain score: The patients of the study group had significantly lower rest pain scores and activity pain scores at hours6

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24 and 48 after operation than the control group. There were no significant differences at 72 hours after operation; (P < 0.01); 2. Average KSS score was 35.63±5.66、33.78±6.48 points preoperatively and 988.52±10.62、89.13±9.66 points at final follow-up( P > 0.05);3. Average EQ-5D scores was 0.79 1±0.158 points in study group and 0.774±0.208 points in study group in control group at final follow-up. There were no significant differences between both;3. There were no significant differences in complications such as wound healing

incidence rate of infection

stiffness and so on. Conclusions a model of nurses’ pain management practice was shown to safely provide excellent pain control and functional recovery after surgery early.