Arthroscopic irrigation solution and method for peripheral vasoconstriction and inhibition of pain and inflammation

Abstract

A method and solution for perioperatively inhibiting a variety of pain and inflammation processes during arthroscopic procedures. The solution preferably includes a vasoconstrictor that demonstrates substantial agonist activity at alpha adrenergic receptors and that is selected for peripheral (local) vasoconstriction and one or more additional pain and inflammation inhibitory agents at dilute concentration in a physiologic carrier, such as saline or lactated Ringer's solution. The solution is applied by continuous irrigation of a wound during a surgical procedure for peripheral vasoconstriction and inhibition of pain and / or inflammation while avoiding undesirable side effects associated with systemic application of larger doses of the agents.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09 / 839,633 filed Apr. 20, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part of International Application PCT / US99 / 24672 filed Oct. 20, 1999 designating the United States and that claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application Serial No. 60 / 105,029 filed Oct. 20, 1998, the benefit of the filing dates of which are hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 and .sctn.120.I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002] The present invention relates to arthroscopic surgical irrigation solutions and methods, and particularly for anti-inflammatory, anti-pain and vasoconstrictive arthroscopic surgical irrigation solutions.II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003] Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure in which a camera, attached to a remote light source and video monitor, is inserted into an anatomic joint (e.g., knee, shoulder, etc.) through a small portal incision in the overlying skin and joint capsule. Through similar portal in...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] The irrigation solutions of the present invention are dilute solutions including at least one adrenergic receptor agonist that demonstrates substantial agonist activity at alpha adrenergic receptors and that is selected for peripheral (local) vasoconstrictor activity, and one or more additional pain / inflammation inhibitory agents in a physiologic carrier. The invention also provides a method for perioperative delivery of the irrigation solution containing these agents directly to a surgical site, where it works locally at the receptor and enzyme levels to preemptively limit pain and inflammation at the site. Due to the local perioperative delivery method of the present invention, a desired therapeutic effect can be achieved with lower doses of agents than are necessary when employing other methods of delivery (i.e., intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous and oral).

[0022] The advantages of low dose applications of agents are three-fold. The most important is the absence of systemic side effects that often limit the usefulness of these agents. Additionally, the agents selected for particular applications in the solutions of the present invention are highly specific with regard to the mediators on which they work. This specificity is maintained by the low dosages utilized. Finally, the cost of these active agents per operative procedure is low.

[0023] The advantages of local administration of the agents via luminal irrigation or other fluid application are the following: (1) local administration guarantees a known concentration at the target site, regardless of interpatient variability in metabolism, blood flow, etc.; (2) because of the direct mode of delivery, a therapeutic concentration is obtained instantaneously and, thus, improved dosage control is provided; and (3) local administration of the active agents directly to a wound or operative site also substantially reduces degradation of the agents through extracellular processes, e.g., first- and second-pass metabolism, that would otherwise occur if the agents were given orally, intravenously, subcutaneously or intramuscularly. This is particularly true for those active agents that are peptides, which are metabolized rapidly. Thus, local administration permits the use of compounds or agents which otherwise could not be employed therapeutically. For example, some agents in the following classes are peptidic: bradykinin receptor antagonists; tachykinin receptor antagonists; opioid receptor agonists; CGRP receptor antagonists; and interleukin receptor antagonists. Local, continuous delivery to the wound or operative site minimizes drug degradation or metabolism while also providing for the continuous replacement of that portion of the agent that may be degraded, to ensure that a local therapeutic concentration, sufficient to maintain receptor occupancy, is maintained throughout the duration of the operative procedure.

[0024] Local administration of the solution perioperatively throughout a surgical procedure in accordance with the present invention produces a preemptive analgesic and / or anti-inflammatory effect. As used herein, the term "perioperative" encompasses application intraprocedurally, pre- and intraprocedurally, intra- and postprocedurally, and pre-, intra- and postprocedurally. To maximize the preemptive anti-inflammatory and / or analgesic effects, the solutions of the present invention are most preferably applied pre-, intra- and postoperatively. By occupying the target receptors or inactivating or activating targeted enzymes prior to the initiation of significant operative trauma locally, the agents of the present solution modulate specific pathways to preemptively inhibit the targeted pathologic process. If inflammatory mediators and processes are preemptively inhibited in accordance with the present invention before they can exert tissue damage, the benefit is more substantial than if given after the damage has been initiated.

[0025] Inhibiting more than one inflammatory or nociceptive mediator by application of the multiple agent solution of the present invention dramatically reduces the degree of inflammation and pain. In one embodiment, the irrigation solutions of the present invention include combinations of drugs, each solution acting on multiple receptors or enzymes. The drug agents are thus simultaneously effective against a combination of pathologic processes, including pain and inflammation. The action of these agents is considered to be synergistic, in that the multiple receptor antagonists and inhibitory agonists of the present invention provide a disproportionately increased efficacy in combination relative to the efficacy of the individual agents. The synergistic action of several of the agents of the present invention are discussed, by way of example, below in the detailed descriptions of those agents.

[0029] Used perioperatively, the solution should result in a clinically significant decrease in operative site pain and inflammation relative to currently-used irrigation fluids, thereby decreasing the patient's postoperative analgesic (i.e., opiate) requirement and, where appropriate, allowing earlier patient mobilization of the operative site. No extra effort on the part of the surgeon and operating room personnel is required to use the present solution relative to conventional irrigation fluids.IV.

Problems solved by technology

The high incidence of nausea and vomiting related to opioids is especially problematic in the postoperative period.

Therapeutic agents aimed at treating postoperative pain while avoiding detrimental side effects are not easily developed because the molecular targets for these agents are distributed widely throughout the body and mediate diverse physiological actions.

Despite the significant clinical need to inhibit pain and inflammation, methods for the delivery of inhibitors of pain and inflammation at effective dosages while minimizing adverse systemic side effects have not been developed.

As an example, conventional (i.e., intravenous, oral, subcutaneous or intramuscular) methods of administration of opiates in therapeutic doses frequently is associated with significant adverse side effects, including severe respiratory depression, changes in mood, mental clouding, profound nausea and vomiting.

Similarly, peripherally applied bradykinin produces pain that can be blocked by bradykinin receptor antagonists.

In addition, prostaglandins also are known to cause pain and inflammation.

Cyclooxygenase inhibitors are associated with some adverse systemic side effects when applied conventionally.

However, there are differences in pharmacology and receptor sequences between human and animal species.

Furthermore, antagonists of these mediators currently are not used for postoperative pain treatment.

Therefore, the lack of efficacy in reducing postoperative pain in the previously-mentioned studies would appear to conflict with the proposal of a role for endogenous 5-HT in acute pain.

With oral administration, the concentration of amitriptyline in the operative site tissues may not have been sufficiently high for a long enough time period to inhibit the activity of postoperatively released 5-HT in the second study.

(3) Since multiple inflammatory mediators exist, and studies have demonstrated synergism between the inflammatory mediators, blocking only one agent (5-HT) may not sufficiently inhibit the inflammatory response to tissue injury.

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