Efficacy of buprenorphine added to 2% lignocaine plus adrenaline 1:80,000 in providing postoperative analgesia after lower third molar surgery

A number of trials have examined the peripheral analgesic effect of opioids, known to have an anti-nociceptive effect at the central and/or spinal cord level. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of buprenorphine added to 2% lignocaine with adrenaline 1:80,000 in providing postoperative analgesia after lower third molar surgery. Sixty patients were randomized to three groups: group A received lignocaine 2% with adrenaline 1:80,000 for inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB), along with intramuscular (IM) injection of 1 ml saline; group B received buprenorphine mixed with lignocaine 2% with adrenaline 1:80,000 for IANB (0.01 mg buprenorphine/ml lignocaine with adrenaline), along with 1 ml saline IM; group C received lignocaine 2% with adrenaline 1:80,000 for IANB, along with 0.03 mg buprenorphine IM. Mean postoperative pain scores (visual analogue scale; when the patient first felt pain) were 6.0 for group A, 1.0 for group B, and 4.4 for group C. The mean duration of postoperative analgesia was 3.5 h in groups A and C and 12 h in group B. The mean number of postoperative analgesics consumed was 5.8 in groups A and C and 3.9 in group B. The addition of buprenorphine (0.03 mg) to 2% lignocaine with adrenaline 1:80,000 significantly reduced the severity of postoperative pain and prolonged the duration of analgesia, thereby decreasing the need for postoperative analgesics.