Abstract
Purpose: Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often experience a difficult recovery due to severe post-operative pain. Utilizing a multi-modal pain management protocol, a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of patient selected music on reducing perceived pain.
Method: Using a standardized intra-operative anesthetic protocol and postoperative pain management protocol, consented patients were randomized into either: 1) the interventional Music group (noise-reduction headphones, patient choice/classical music) or the control, Non-Music group (noise-reduction headphones only). Pain scores, aided by the Wong-Baker and Verbal Descriptor scales, were assessed via the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline and postoperatively at 3, 6, and 24 hours. A paired Student’s t-test was utilized to determine statistical significance, which was set at a p < 0.05.
Results: Thirty subjects were enrolled. At baseline, there were no statistical differences in mean pain between the study (2.29 ± 2.78) and the control (3.34 ± 2.67) groups (p = 0.19). Mean pain scores reported the Music group to have significantly less pain at 3 hours (1.49 ± 1.39 vs. 3.87 ± 3.44, p = 0.01), and at 24 hours (2.41 ± 1.67 vs. 4.03 ± 2.89, p=0.04).
Conclusion: Intraoperative music provides an inexpensive, non-invasive method of lowering perceived postoperative pain for patients undergoing a TKA. The results of this study offer a glimpse into how an alternative therapy or non-pharmacologic method can reduce postoperative pain. A larger-scale, higher powered trial may demonstrate how music could favorably affect secondary outcomes such as patient satisfaction, range of motion, and length of stay.
Correspondence should be addressed to Meghan Corbeil, Meetings Coordinator Email: meghan@canorth.org
