Local Anesthetic Associated with Better Early Recovery after Aseptic Revision TKA
A new study led by surgeons at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) found that the use of a new local anesthetic at the time of revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) enabled patients to leave the hospital sooner and recover faster.
The study was presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
A recently introduced pain medication known as extended-release, dual-acting local anesthetic (ERDALA) used at the time of aseptic revision TKA was associated with better patient outcomes, including:
- Completing physical therapy sooner
- Spending less time in the hospital
- Being discharged within 1 day after surgery
The study authors reviewed outcomes of 171 patients who underwent aseptic revision TKA at HSS between January 2021 and May 2023. Patients either received ERDALA (51.5%) or standard of care periarticular injections (48.5%) during surgery.
The researchers found that patients who received ERDALA went home nearly a day sooner and cleared physical therapy approximately 20 hours faster than those who received periarticular injections
“ERDALA did not reduce pain scores, or the total amount of opioids prescribed in this study, but it was associated with helping patients reach early recovery milestones sooner,” said Peter Sculco, MD, who was the senior author of this study.
“This medication can be a valuable tool in rapid recovery strategies used in aseptic revision TKA, which can lead to patients walking better and getting home faster.”
Dr. Sculco added that further research is needed to explore these strategies in the revision population, especially as more revision surgeries are performed in the outpatient setting.