Arthroscopic surgery for cartilage and meniscus injuries are some of the most common orthopaedic procedures currently performed. Post-surgical pain is initiated through an inflammatory response to surgery. The pain response leads to sleep disruption and a further increase in pain and additional sleep disruption. Opioid medications are often used after surgery to treat pain despite the side effect profile. These medications also contribute to poor sleep quality and duration. Early pain and narcotic use can be controlled by mitigating the effects of post-surgical inflammation. Ceftriaxone is a readily available antibiotic and may have the desirable anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, but without the side effects caused by other medications. Since it is highly selective in its inhibition, ceftriaxone is an excellent candidate for reducing immediate post-operative pain and heightened inflammatory response.~By doing this study, the investigators hope to learn about the anti-inflammatory effectiveness of the antibiotic ceftriaxone. Ceftriaxone has been shown to inhibit a key enzyme in the post-operative inflammatory process and has been safely used for treatment of infections for years. The investigators would like to gather information about whether ceftriaxone helps reduce pain and inflammation after surgery. Participation in this research will last about 2 months.
The purpose of this study is to determine if ceftriaxone administered postoperatively via intravenous injection reduces postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and narcotic consumption in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy for a cartilage or meniscal injury.