Comparison of effect of intra socket ketamine and tramadol on postoperative pain after mandibular third molar surgery

AIM: This study compared the analgesic efficacy of intra socket application of tramadol versus ketamine for preventing pain after mandibular third molar surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients who had undergone third molar surgery were randomly divided into three groups: Group T (tramadol 1 mg/kg), Group K (ketamine 0.5 mg/kg), and Group C (saline 2 mL). The treatment was applied to the extraction sockets using resorbable gel foam. Average time taken for the procedure was recorded. Pain was evaluated postoperatively using a visual analog scale (VAS) at 6 and 24 h postoperatively. Furthermore, the number of analgesics taken in the 1(st)24 h was recorded. The relevant information was gathered and tabulated. IBM SPSS 2.0 was used to analyze the results and one-way ANOVA test was used to determine the statistical significance. RESULTS: The VAS scores after extraction were statistically higher in Group C than in either treatment group. Group K had the lowest pain intensity. During the 1(st)6 h, patients reported statistically lower pain intensity scores in Groups K and T versus Group C. At 24 h, Group K had the lowest pain intensity and Group T had less pain than Group C. The number of analgesics taken in the 1(st)24 h was highest in Group C. CONCLUSION: This study shows that intra socket use of tramadol and ketamine can be used as effective alternatives for decreasing pain after third molar surgery.