Postoperative pain is an important determinant of rehabilitation and functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In an effort to decrease the need for postoperative opioids, there has been an increasing interest in analgesic techniques, such as local infiltration analgesia (LIA). Objective. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of LIA in reducing postoperative pain and opioid medication, improving functional results and decreasing the length of hospital stay, as well as to reassess its safety and analyse its advantages compared to other analgesic alternatives and / or the combination of the same. Material and methods. An observational descriptive study of a series of cases was conducted on patients undergoing TKA who received LIA for postoperative pain control. Pain was recorded in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 12, 24 and 48 h postoperatively. Therefore, the study includes a systematic review using PubMed. Results. The majority of patients included in the analysis were women, and the mean age was 69.92 years. The number of right-sided TKA was higher than left-sided, and posterior stabilized prosthesis was the most used. The mean pain levels assessed by the EVA scale at 12, 24 and 48 hours were 3.85, 4.56 and 4.38 respectively, increasing the percentage of patients who presented higher pain intensity at 48 hours. Statistical association was observed between age and pain levels at 12 hours after the intervention. Other parameters studied (sex, degree of osteoarthritis, hospital stay, depression and rheumatoid arthritis) were not statistically significant. Conclusion. The LIA technique offers a safe and effective analgesia, reduces the consumption of analgesic medication, improves subjective parameters, and supports early mobilization after TKA.

Postoperative pain is an important determinant of rehabilitation and functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In an effort to decrease the need for postoperative opioids, there has been an increasing interest in analgesic techniques, such as local infiltration analgesia (LIA). Objective. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of LIA in reducing postoperative pain and opioid medication, improving functional results and decreasing the length of hospital stay, as well as to reassess its safety and analyse its advantages compared to other analgesic alternatives and / or the combination of the same. Material and methods. An observational descriptive study of a series of cases was conducted on patients undergoing TKA who received LIA for postoperative pain control. Pain was recorded in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 12, 24 and 48 h postoperatively. Therefore, the study includes a systematic review using PubMed. Results. The majority of patients included in the analysis were women, and the mean age was 69.92 years. The number of right-sided TKA was higher than left-sided, and posterior stabilized prosthesis was the most used. The mean pain levels assessed by the EVA scale at 12, 24 and 48 hours were 3.85, 4.56 and 4.38 respectively, increasing the percentage of patients who presented higher pain intensity at 48 hours. Statistical association was observed between age and pain levels at 12 hours after the intervention. Other parameters studied (sex, degree of osteoarthritis, hospital stay, depression and rheumatoid arthritis) were not statistically significant. Conclusion. The LIA technique offers a safe and effective analgesia, reduces the consumption of analgesic medication, improves subjective parameters, and supports early mobilization after TKA.