The intra-articular use of local anesthetics could be detrimental to human articular cartilage and chondrocytes, according to a study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
After a clinical review of orthopedic literature on local anesthetic chondrotoxicity and its relationship to clinical chondrolysis, researchers found that local anesthetics are chondrotroxic to human articular cartilage in vitro. These anesthetics include bupivacaine, lidocaine and to a lesser degree, ropivacaine.
There may be a greater risk for chondrolysis with longer exposure to a high concentration local anesthetic than with a single injection, although late cellular and metabolic changes may be evident even after a single injection. The loss of an intact cartilage matrix could lead to larger chondrocyte death.
Read the abstract about the effect of local anesthetic on articular cartilage.
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After a clinical review of orthopedic literature on local anesthetic chondrotoxicity and its relationship to clinical chondrolysis, researchers found that local anesthetics are chondrotroxic to human articular cartilage in vitro. These anesthetics include bupivacaine, lidocaine and to a lesser degree, ropivacaine.
There may be a greater risk for chondrolysis with longer exposure to a high concentration local anesthetic than with a single injection, although late cellular and metabolic changes may be evident even after a single injection. The loss of an intact cartilage matrix could lead to larger chondrocyte death.
Read the abstract about the effect of local anesthetic on articular cartilage.
Related Articles to Sports Medicine Studies:
Study: Hip MRI of Asymptomatic Hockey Players Could Predict Future Disability
Bony Fixation Anchor Tenodesis Best for Long Head Bicep Tendon Lesions
Study: 4-Strand Posterolateral Corner Reconstruction Best for Rotational Knee Laxity Patients