The efficacy of celecoxib for pain management of arthroscopy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of celecoxib for pain management of arthroscopy remains controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess if celecoxib before the surgery decreases postoperative pain intensity of arthroscopy. METHODS: We search PubMed, Embase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of celecoxib versus placebo on pain control of arthroscopy. RESULTS: Five RCTs are included in the meta-analysis. Celecoxib is administered at 200 mg or 400 mg dosage before the surgery. Overall, compared with control group for arthroscopy, preemptive celecoxib has remarkably positive impact on pain scores at 2 to 6 hours (standard mean difference (SMD) = -0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.95 to -0.36; P < .0001) and 24 hours after the surgery (SMD = -1.26; 95% CI = -1.83 to -0.70; P < 0.0001), analgesic consumption (SMD = -2.73; 95% CI = -5.17 to -0.28; P = .03), as well as the decrease in adverse events (risk ratio (RR) = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.39 to 0.79; P = .001), but shows no obvious effect on first time for analgesic requirement (SMD = 0.02; 95% CI = -0.22 to 0.26; P = .87), nausea, or vomiting (RR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.42 to 1.17; P = .18). CONCLUSION: Celecoxib administered at 200 mg or 400 mg dosage before the surgery decreases postoperative pain intensity of arthroscopy.