Skip to content

Intraoperative Direct vs Postoperative Ultrasound Guided Adductor Canal Nerve Block After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Intraoperative Direct Adductor Canal Nerve Block Versus Post Operative Ultrasound Guided Adductor Canal Nerve Block in Total Knee Arthroplasty: a Double-blind Randomized Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03733509
Enrollment
121
Registered
2018-11-07
Start date
2018-11-12
Completion date
2022-10-24
Last updated
2022-10-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Knee Osteoarthritis, Nerve Block, Total Knee Arthroplasty

Brief summary

This study compares analgesic effect between two techniques of adductor canal nerve block after total knee arthroplasty. The first group of the patients will receive intraoperative adductor canal nerve block; and the other group post operative ultrasound guided adductor canal nerve block. Investigators will measure postoperative opioid consumption, pain management and rehabilitation goals.

Detailed description

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a successful alternative to treat late stage knee osteoarthritis (OA). Pain management has been one of the main focuses of postoperative care. Most surgeons prefer a comprehensive multimodal approach including preoperative pharmacological treatment, intraoperative infiltration with complex drug mixes and postoperative peripheral nerve block. The most common postoperative nerve block alternative is the proximal femoral nerve block (FNB) which has shown improvements on postoperative pain measured by reduced opioid consumption and decreased pain at rest. Its main detractors argue that the motor nerve block effect is deleterious to early ambulation and have promoted adductor canal nerve blocks (ACB). Described by Lund et al in 2011, ACB block main femoral pain sensory contributors to the knee (articular branches of obturator nerve, vastus medialis branch and saphenous nerve) but is more distal to most motor branches to the quadriceps allowing near to normal quadriceps strength. Standard ACB block is performed under ultrasound guidance after surgery completion, still in the operating room (OR). Recent literature has shown the anatomic feasibility of intraoperative ACB via blunt suprapatellar dissection in standard medial parapatellar TKA approaches. The study seeks to determine the effectiveness of standard ultrasound guidance ACB compared with intraoperative ACB.

Interventions

PROCEDUREIntraoperative Block

One shot adductor canal nerve block with 20ml of bupivacaine 0.25% through surgical incision

PROCEDUREUltrasound Block

One shot adductor canal nerve block with 20ml of bupivacaine 0.25% mid-thigh

PROCEDUREIntraoperative Placebo

One shot adductor canal nerve infusion with 20ml of saline solution through surgical incision

PROCEDUREUltrasound Placebo

One shot adductor canal nerve infusion with 20ml of saline solution mid-thigh

Sponsors

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Total blind (patient, physicians, outcome assessors and statistician) Closed envelope by independent randomizer is given to physician assistant. The assistant prepares randomly allocated placebo or local anesthetic. Group is coded so that statistician is also blind

Intervention model description

Two arm, randomly assigned

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Primary total knee arthroplasty * Unilateral * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score I, II or III * Accepts spinal anesthesia

Exclusion criteria

* General anesthesia * Chronic kidney disease * Drug or alcohol abuse * Chronic opioid use * Allergic to bupivacaine or similar

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
24 hour opioid consumptionFirst 24 hours after surgeryOpioid consumption by patient controlled analgesia (PCA) and any other oral or IV analgesics

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
24 patient reported painFirst 24 hours after surgeryPatient reported pain scale using visual analog scale (VAS) every 6 hours after surgery (0 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours and 24 hours)
Time up and go Test24 hours after surgeryStandardised test to determine patients ability to walk 24 hours after surgery
Time to Discharge7 daysTime between surgery and patient in conditions for discharge: no IV requirements, basic walking capability and VAS pain score equal or below 3
Range of motion24 hours after surgeryActive and passive knee range of motion

Countries

Chile

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026