Could ketamine be the key to better pain relief after knee surgery?
NCT ID NCT07059429
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at whether adding a low-dose ketamine infusion to standard pain medication can help people who just had knee replacement surgery. One hundred adults were randomly assigned to get either standard pain relief alone or standard relief plus ketamine through a patient-controlled pump. Researchers measured how much opioid painkiller they needed and how much pain they felt in the first 24 hours after surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ketamine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a way to reduce opioid use and improve pain control after knee replacement surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with no phase designation, so results may not be conclusive or widely applicable. Ketamine can cause side effects like nausea or neuropsychiatric reactions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
100 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Finished
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Jan 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 90 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age greater than 18 years and less than 90 years. * Patients who have undergone knee arthroplasty. * The patient has read the information sheet and signed the informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * Spinal anesthesia performed intraoperatively. * Epidural analgesia administered postoperatively. * Perioperative blockade of the sciatic nerve, genicular nerve, or lumbar plexus. * Allergy to ketamine or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. * Contraindications to ketamine as specified in the product instructions. * Time from the end of surgery to study enrollment exceeds 24 hours. * Ineffectiveness of analgesia as provided by the study protocol.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Pirogov National Medical and Surgical Center
Moscow, 105203, Russia
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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