IMPACT OF CRYOTHERAPY ON DISCHARGE RATES AND PAIN MANAGEMENT FOLLOWING KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

Successful management of postoperative pain can lead to reduced length of an inpatient stay and decreased health care costs. This project aims to assess the impact of cryotherapy following knee arthroplasty. This is a prospective study involving 40 patients undergoing day case knee arthroplasty from 1st March 2023 until 24th June 2024. Twenty patients were part of the control group, mean age of 62.25, and 20 in the treatment group, mean age of 61.75. The treatment group patients received a second generation cryotherapy device, used from the immediate post-operative time until after their discharge. The results of this study show 12/20 (60%) control group patients were discharged on the same day compared to 17/20 (85%) in the treatment group. The control group had an average of 2.9 (SD 2.72) doses of Oxycodone postoperatively, compared to 1.3 (SD 1.62) in the treatment group (95% CI, p= 0.03). Postoperative pain was also calculated. The control group reported 2.7/10 pain score on postoperative day 1 and 2.4/10 on day 7. In comparison, the treatment group reported 2.4/10 on day 1 and 2.1/10 on day 7. Decreasing postoperative pain can directly reduce the cost of treatment by reducing inpatient stay and the usage of opioid analgesia. An overnight inpatient stay costs £941 whilst a dose of per os Oxycodone tablet costs £5.15. The main cryotherapy machine used in this study is provided for free to the NHS by the producing company (£116.90) whilst the consumable materials for each patient are estimated around £45. The overall postoperative cost can be reduced from £955 for the control group to £51 for the treatment group. Implementation of advanced cryotherapy devices as a routine practice in postoperative knee arthroplasty cases could significantly reduce the associated health care cost and postoperative pain.