Purpose: Intraarticular use of anaesthetic agents is common for postoperative pain relief after arthroscopic knee surgery. In this study, we have evaluated and compared the effects of Bupivacaine, Levobupivacaine and Tramadol both invivo and invitro experimental rat models on articular cartilage and chondrocytes.

Materials and Methods: Invivo Experiment: 1. Injections: Thirty mature Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 230 – 300 g were randomized into 3 groups. Bupivacaine (Group 1), Levobupivacaine (Group 2) and Tramadol (Group 3) were injected into the right knee joints and physiological 0.9% saline into the left. 2. Histopathologic Analysis: The specimens were fixed, decalcified and stained with Hematoxylen and Eosin (H& E) and Toluidin Blue. All slides were examined by the same pathologist, who was blinded to the injectate used in each joint. All samples were evaluated histopathologically according to the recommendation of International Cartilage Repair Society’s osteoarthritis and cartilage histopathology grading and staging system. Invitro Experiment: Articular cartilage cells of the rats were cultured and seeded. Cartilage cell seeded samples (104 cells/mL) were incubated in three different anesthetic agents (0,5%); Bupivacaine, Levobupivacaine, and Tramadol respectively. Cell Titer 96TM Nonradioactivity Cell Proliferation (MTS) assay was used to determine the cell density on the samples.

Results:

Invivo: There were pathologic changes like cartilage hypertrophy, active chronic inflammation with abscess formation, cellular proliferation, focal vertical fissures and focal discontunity on cartilage matrix at superficial zone in all three groups on the drug injected sides. Although those histopathologic findings were not found statistically significant when compared the OARSI grade, OA stage and OA score with the control groups (p> 0.05), statistically significant higher OARSI grade, OA stage and OA scores were detected when compared the Levobupivacaine injected group after 10 days with the Levobupivacaine injected group after 48 hours (p< 0.01 [ p=0.008]).

Conclusion: No report has been appointed comparing the effects of the mentioned three drugs both invivo and invitro. Although chondrotoxicity of Bupivacaine was less harmful than Levobupivacaine and Tramadol, these findings suggest that local anesthetics negatively affect articular cartilage and chondrocytes. Given that chondrocyte loss has been implicated in the development of chondrosis and osteoarthritis, orthopaedic surgeons should be careful in their preference for pain control with intraarticular drug injections after arthroscopic procedures.