Randomized Control Trial of combined Cryotherapy with Compression Versus Cryotherapy Alone After Arthroscopic Orthopaedic Surgery — MHSRS 2021

Anderson A, Bradley M, Dalgarno R, Lucio W, Purvis H, Kilcoyne K, Tucker C, Dickens J

Abstract submitted to Military Health System Research Symposium 2021

Cold therapy (cryotherapy) has been widely used for adjuvant treatment of postoperative pain management in orthopaedic surgery. Postoperative cryotherapy with compression is proposed as a method of reducing pain and the inflammatory response in the early postoperative period after orthopaedic arthroscopic procedures. Many devices are available, but few can guarantee temperature regulation during prolonged periods of use and therefore have been criticized. The arrival of new advanced cryotherapy devices has made it possible to test the effect of prolonged cooling on rehabilitation after arthroscopic orthopaedic procedures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of cryotherapy with compression (using Game Ready®) versus cryotherapy without compression (standard of care ice packs) on 1) postoperative pain control, 2) patient reported outcomes, and 3) number and dose in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) of pain medications taken after arthroscopic surgery.