The Effect of a Methylprednisolone Taper on Outcomes Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Summary

Pain control and early range of motion following total knee arthroplasty are essential for patient satisfaction. Intraoperative steroids (dexamethasone) have been shown to have a significant effect in controlling acute pain following total knee arthroplasty. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a post-operative steroid (methylprednisolone) taper in improving functional and patient-reported outcomes following total knee arthroplasty. A taper means taking a high dose of a medication followed by taking lower doses and each following day until the medication is stopped.

Timeline

Start

2025-11-01

Primary completion

2027-10-01

Completion

2027-12-01

Publications

• Background Wagner ER, Hussain ZB, Karzon AL, Cooke HL, Toston RJ, Hurt JT, Dawes AM, Gottschalk MB. Methylprednisolone taper is an effective addition to multimodal pain regimens after total shoulder arthroplasty: results of a randomized controlled trial: 2022 Neer Award winner. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024 May;33(5):985-993. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2023.12.016. Epub 2024 Feb 4.
• Background Gottschalk MB, Dawes A, Hurt J, Spencer C, Campbell C, Toston R, Farley K, Daly C, Wagner ER. A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of Methylprednisolone for Postoperative Pain Management of Surgically Treated Distal Radius Fractures. J Hand Surg Am. 2022 Sep;47(9):866-873. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2022.06.008.

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