Shin HJ, et al. - Researchers compared dexmedetomidine vs propofol with respect to postoperative analgesia provided by these agents when administered intraoperatively for sedation in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia. They hypothesized that lower postoperative opioid analgesic consumption would be reported in patients sedated with dexmedetomidine vs propofol. Enrollment of 48 patients was done, and randomization was done to either a dexmedetomidine group, including 24 patients who were administered a loading dose of 1 μg/kg dexmedetomidine over 10 minutes, followed by a continuous infusion of 0.1–0.5 μg·kg⁻¹·hour⁻¹, or a propofol group, including 24 patients who were administered a continuous infusion of propofol via a target-controlled infusion to maintain the effect-site concentration within a range of 0.5–2.0 μg/mL. Findings revealed that a small but clinically significant decrease in postoperative opioid use following total knee arthroplasty was observed in relation to intraoperative dexmedetomidine sedation.