Postoperative Pain; Knee Arthroscopy; Acupuncture

Aim of the study: To investigate whether acupuncture with indwelling fixed needles reduces pain and analgesic requirement and foster mobilization in patients after arthroscopic knee surgery (AKS) Design: Prospective pilot investigation with non-randomized arm Number of patients: N = 60 (30 patients with acupuncture additional to standard pain treatment (SPT) vs. 30 patients with SPT only Inclusion criteria: Adult patients scheduled to elective AKS in general anaesthesia with \< 80 min. duration Without previous opioid and psychotropic medication Given informed consentOutcome measures: Postoperative analgesic requirement; Pain intensity; Incidence of side effects; Physiological parameters; Mobilization score