Objective: Recently, nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs are used increasingly for postoperative pain treatment. In this study, the efficacy of two different nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs were compared in the postoperative period in 60 patients who underwent to lomber spinal surgery.

Methods: Patients were randomised to two treatment groups to receive 20 mg tenoxicam intravenously (n=30) or 75 mg diclofenac sodium intramuscularly (n=30). Pain scores were recorded at immediately after extubation, at the postoperatively 4, 12 and 24. Hours at rest and during mobilization by using a Visual Analog Scale (0-100). Blood biochemistry, which was taken at the preoperative and at the 48 hours after operation, was compared. Probable side effects were recorded.

Results: Pain scores at rest and during mobilisation were reduced in the tenoxicam group. But this was not statistically significant. Also the tenoxicam group showed less urinary retention problems than the diclofenac sodium group. Hemogram and hematocrit were significantly decreased at the postoperative period in the both of groups (respectively in the tenoxicam group, p=0.01, p=0.003 ; in the diclofenac sodium group, p=0.03, p=0.02). Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower at the postoperative period in the diclofenac sodium group (p=0.04).

Conclusions: Tenoxicam was more effective at the first postoperative day in the patients whose underwent to lomber spinal surgery. But this result was not statistically significant. Also less urinary retention problems were recorded in the tenoxicam group.