Duloxetine for postoperative pain management in total hip and knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Background: Postoperative pain following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) drives opioid dependence. Perioperative duloxetine is an option as a multimodal analgesic adjunct, yet its efficacy and safety in this population are not fully defined.
Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis compared perioperative duloxetine to placebo in THA and TKA patients, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD420261294277). The search strategy spanned PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The Cochrane Library was also queried from inception to March 2, 2026. The primary outcomes were Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores at rest and during ambulation; secondary outcomes included postoperative opioid consumption and the incidence of adverse effects. VAS and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores were converted to a common 0-100 mm scale for pooling and expressed as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI); opioid consumption was standardized to morphine milligram equivalents (MME) and expressed as MD in MME. Dichotomous data were expressed as risk ratios (RR).
Results: Thirteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 1176) were included. Duloxetine significantly reduced pain at rest (MD - 5.09 mm, 95% CI - 8.76 to - 1.43, P = 0.006) and during ambulation (MD - 4.55 mm, 95% CI - 8.71 to…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 1,176 participants or records.
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