Imagine facing surgery for a serious injury, only to find that the pain relief options come with risks of addiction and mental health struggles. For many orthopedic trauma patients, this is a reality. Pain management is crucial, but the high rates of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder make recovery even more challenging. This clinical trial is testing ketamine, a drug typically used as an anesthetic, to see if it can help. Patients will receive either ketamine or standard anesthesia during their surgery. The study will track their pain levels and mental health, focusing on how ketamine affects pain, opioid use, and symptoms of depression and PTSD. If ketamine proves effective, it could offer a new way to support recovery, reducing reliance on opioids and addressing mental health issues. However, it’s important to remember that this research is still in progress, and results will take time. The hope is that ketamine might not only ease physical pain but also help heal emotional wounds, paving the way for a better recovery experience for many patients.
Could Ketamine Be the Key to Easing Pain and Healing Minds After Surgery?
Plain Language Summary
What this means for you:
Ketamine may offer a dual benefit for surgery patients by easing pain and supporting mental health recovery. What this means for you:
Ketamine may offer a dual benefit for surgery patients by easing pain and supporting mental health recovery. View Original Abstract ↓
Status: RECRUITING | Phase: PHASE4
Condition(s): Orthopedic Trauma Surgery Patients, Postoperative Pain, Opioid Use, Depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Intervention(s): Ketamine (DRUG), standard general anesthesia (DRUG)
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if ketamine, given during surgery, can help improve recovery for adults with serious orthopedic trauma. The study will test whether ketamine reduces pain, lowers the need for opioids, and improves mental health outcomes like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does ketamine reduce pain after surgery compared to standard anesthesia?
Does ketamine reduce the amount of opioids patients need for pain control?
Does ketamine improve symptoms of depression and PTSD after orthopedic trauma?
Researchers will compare patients who receive ketamine during surgery with those who receive standard anesthesia without ketamine to see if ketamine helps improve both physical and psychological recovery.
Participants will:
Be randomly assigned to receive either a single dose of ketamine or standard anesthesia during surgery.
Report their pain using a simple pain scale (Visual Analog Scale, VAS).
Complete short surveys about mood and mental health (PHQ-9 for depression and PCL-5 for PTSD) at several time points after surgery.
Allow the research team to review their electronic medical records to measure opioid prescriptions during recovery.
Attend follow-up visits in clinic or by secure telehealth (e.g., Zoom) at 1-7 days, 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery
Detailed: Orthopedic trauma patients often face challenges in both physical and psychological recovery following injury. Pain control is difficult, as effective pain relief must be balanced against the risks of opioid dependence. In addition, rates of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are high in this population, further complicating recovery. These overlapping challenges highlight the need for new approaches that address both pain and mental health outcomes.
Ketamine, a commonly used anesthetic, has properties that may benefit trauma patients beyond its routine role in surgery. Evidence suggests that low-dose intravenous (IV) ketamine can reduce acute postoperative pain, decrease the need for opioid medications, and have rapid effects on depressive symptoms. Some studies also in
Primary Outcome(s): Pain Intensity (VAS)
Enrollment: 90 (ESTIMATED)
Lead Sponsor: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Start: 2025-11-06 | Primary Completion: 2027-05