Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Intra-Articular Injection of Dexmedetomidine and Triamcinolone in Improving Knee Pain and Function in Patients with Primary Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: With the increasing prevalence of knee osteoarthritis, providing treatment solutions was on the agenda of research teams. Therefore, the present study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of intra-articular injection of Dexmedetomidine and Triamcinolone in improving knee pain and function in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis. Methods: To carry out the current clinical trial study, all patients with knee osteoarthritis referred to Imam Hossein Hospital in Tehran were included within one year. Eligible patients were randomly divided into two groups: (D) Dexmedetomidine and (T) Triamcinolone. After registering the patients' demographic information, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was used to evaluate the treatment process of the patients in two groups. VAS was used to measure the patient's pain level in three periods before the injection, one month and three months after the last injection. Data were recorded in a pre-designed questionnaire and analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 statistical program. Results: The pain, symptoms, sports-recreational performance, and knee-related quality of life three months after the procedure showed a statistically significant difference between the dexmedetomidine and the triamcinolone groups (P value <0.05). Conclusion: The overall results show that patients with primary knee osteoarthritis who received dexmedetomidine had reduced pain and required fewer analgesics than those who received triamcinolone.