Using adjunctive intravenous and short-term oral Ketorolac significantly lowers pain levels and narcotic use following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, according to a study published in the "Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons". The goal of Sunita R. Mengers et al. was to assess the effectiveness of Ketorolac as an adjuvant treatment for postsurgical pain management following ACL reconstruction.

Prospectively recruited participants were adults undergoing primary ACL reconstruction. Patients having a history of alcohol misuse, chronic analgesia use, renal failure, or bleeding diathesis were excluded from the study. Included patients were randomly assigned to the Ketorolac group and control group in this prospective, randomized controlled study.

Volunteers in the control group received standard-of-care pain management that included Oxycodone-Acetaminophen 5 to 325 on discharge. Volunteers in the Ketorolac group received intravenous Ketorolac postsurgically and three days of oral Ketorolac on discharge. For the first five days following surgery, recording of pain levels and total opioid use was done three times a day.

At 2 and 6 weeks following surgery, results in terms of pain and functional outcomes were achieved. Overall, 48 patients were included in the final analysis; 60.4% of the patients were females, and the cohort's mean age was 32 ± 11.6 years. Preoperative functional scores, comorbidities, and preoperative demographics did not differ between both groups.

Subjects in the Ketorolac group utilized a mean of 45.4% fewer painkillers during the first five days following surgery compared to those in the control group. Additionally, individuals who took Ketorolac had mean postoperative pain levels that were 22.36 points reduced. No cases of gastrointestinal bleeding were reported.

No variation between the two groups' functional outcome scores up to 6 weeks after surgery or adverse events was noted. The use of Ketorolac as an adjunct was promising in significantly lowering narcotic use and pain levels after ACL reconstruction.