Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Aug 25;13(9):1299.
doi: 10.3390/jpm13091299.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Vitamin C during the Postoperative Period in Patients Subjected to Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Ricardo Ramón  1 , Esteban Holguín  2 , José Daniel Chiriboga  2 , Newton Rubio  3 , Carlos Ballesteros  2 , Marco Ezechieli  1
Affiliations

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Vitamin C during the Postoperative Period in Patients Subjected to Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Ricardo Ramón et al. J Pers Med. .

Abstract

Vitamin C, a potent reducing and antioxidant agent, plays an important role in the body, aiding in the growth of cartilage and bones. It is also involved in mechanisms that help reduce inflammation and its effects on the body. In addition, vitamin C decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, which produce acute-phase proteins such as CRP and influence inflammatory markers such as ESR. We carried out a study with 110 patients who underwent total knee replacement surgery. We divided the patients into two groups, in which the intervention group received 15 g of parenteral vitamin C during the immediate postoperative period while the control group did not. Patients who received 15 g of vitamin C after total knee replacement surgery had decreased inflammatory markers, specifically CRP and ESR. Overall, administering vitamin C in the post-surgical period results in improved management of inflammation, as evidenced by a decrease in CRP and ESR values. This leads to faster recovery and better healing outcomes for patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of vitamin C in reducing proinflammatory cytokines, reducing the need for opioid analgesics, and its mild adverse effects make it a promising adjuvant in managing postoperative recovery.

Keywords: CRP; ESR; Vitamin C; opioids; pain; total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Graphic comparison of the distribution of CRP values obtained from both groups.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graphic comparison of the distribution of ESR values obtained from both groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ellulu M.S., Rahmat A., Patimah I., Khaza’ai H., Abed Y. Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or diabetic obese adults: A randomized controlled trial. Drug Des. Devel. Ther. 2015;9:3405–3412. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S83144. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Traber M.G., Stevens J.F. Vitamins C and E: Beneficial effects from a mechanistic perspective. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 2011;51:1000–1013. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.05.017. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pullar J.M., Carr A.C., Vissers M.C.M. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017;9:866. doi: 10.3390/nu9080866. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Handcox J.E., Gutierrez-Naranjo J.M., Salazar L.M., Bullock T.S., Griffin L.P., Zelle B.A. Nutrition and Vitamin Deficiencies Are Common in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients. J. Clin. Med. 2021;10:5012. doi: 10.3390/jcm10215012. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bates C.J., Levene C.I. The effect of ascorbic acid deficiency on the glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins in connective tissue. Bibl. Nutr. Dieta. 1969;13:131–143. doi: 10.1159/000385159. - DOI - PubMed