Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used to treat inflammation, pain, and fever, but no criterion standard exists for the management of postoperative pain following spinal surgery. In the present study, we compared the analgesic efficacy of loxoprofen sodium (loxoprofen) and celecoxib for the management of postoperative pain following spinal surgery.
Methods: One-hundred forty-one patients (mean age 62.2 years) were randomly assigned to two groups before spinal surgery: a loxoprofen group (n = 73, 180 mg/day) and a celecoxib group (n = 68, 200 mg/day). The drugs were administered from 1 day until 7 days after surgery. A numeric rating scale (NRS) was used to evaluate pain at nine predefined times every day and the findings were compared between the two groups. Laboratory data and adverse events were also recorded.
Results: There was no significant difference in the maximum and mean NRS scores on each day between loxoprofen and celecoxib, suggesting a comparable analgesic effect for these two NSAIDs. Greater improvement in the NRS score between preadministration (baseline) and 30 min or 2 h after administration was obtained for loxoprofen. This tendency was shown for both slight (NRS score <5 at baseline) and severe pain (NRS score ≥ 5 at baseline). Loxoprofen was discontinued in one patient on day 4 because of renal dysfunction. Celecoxib was discontinued in one patient on day 2 at the patient's request.
Conclusions: Both loxoprofen sodium and celecoxib were well tolerated for the relief of acute postoperative pain after spinal surgery. A single administration of loxoprofen showed superior and rapid effectiveness compared with celecoxib for both slight and severe postoperative pain.