BACKGROUND: Elective knee surgery is performed to reduce chronic pain and improve function in degenerate knees. Treatment of acute post-operative pain is suboptimal in 75% of patients despite multimodal analgesic approaches resulting in higher post-operative opiate consumption. The effect of corticosteroids as an adjunct for post-operative pain control remains undefined. METHODS: The databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL (Cochrane library) will be searched from their inception to present using broad search criteria for eligible randomised/quasi-randomised controlled trials investigating perioperative corticosteroid adjunctive use in elective knee surgery. Meta-analyses will be conducted according to the recommendations from the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. DISCUSSION: This systematic review of the perioperative adjunctive use of corticosteroids will assess the analgesic effects, post-operative nausea and vomiting, opiate consumption, infection rates and time till discharge and assess whether adjunctive corticosteroids should be encouraged in elective knee surgery. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROPSERO CRD42016049336.