Additional nerve blocks are not superior to multiple-site infiltration analgesia in total knee arthroplasty under adductor canal block

Comparison of Adductor Canal Block Before Versus After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Terms of Pain, Stress, and Functional Outcomes: A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Whether an adductor canal block (ACB) is more effective when administered before or after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is unclear. This study compared pain, stress, and functional outcomes between patients who received the block before surgery and those who received the block after surgery.

METHODS

In this double-blinded trial, 100 patients at our hospital were randomized to receive an ACB at either 30 minutes before general anesthesia or postoperatively in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). All patients received periarticular local infiltration analgesia during surgery. The 2 groups were compared with respect to the primary outcome, the postoperative consumption of morphine as rescue analgesia, and in terms of the secondary outcomes, including the time from the end of surgery to the first rescue analgesia or discharge, intraoperative and postoperative stress, postoperative pain, functional recovery, the incidence of chronic pain, and complications.

RESULTS

All included patients were Asian (Chinese) in race/ethnicity. The 2 groups had similar demographic information. Compared with the postoperative ACB, the preoperative ACB was associated with significantly lower morphine consumption within the first 24 hours postoperatively and lower total morphine consumption. It was also associated with a longer time until the first rescue analgesia, lower intraoperative consumption of opioids and inhaled anesthetic, fewer episodes of hypertension during surgery, a lower rate of rescue analgesia in the PACU, lower levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone in serum on the morning of postoperative day 1, lower pain on a visual analog scale while at rest or during motion within 12 hours postoperatively, better range of knee motion on postoperative day 1, and a lower incidence of chronic pain at 3 months postoperatively. The 2 groups did not differ significantly with respect to postoperative ambulation distance, time until discharge, or complication rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Administering an ACB before rather than after TKA may lead to lower opioid consumption during hospitalization, lower intraoperative and postoperative stress responses, better pain relief during hospitalization, and a lower incidence of chronic pain at 3 months postoperatively.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Effectiveness of adductor canal block combined with posterior capsular infiltration on pain and return to walking after total knee arthroplasty: comparative analysis with femoral and popliteal sciatic nerves blocks

INTRODUCTION

Perioperative analgesia after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) reduces morphine consumption and speeds up rehabilitation. The primary objective of this study was to compare the pain experienced by patients with an adductor canal and posterior capsule block with those with a continuous femoral nerve block combined with a popliteal sciatic nerve block. The secondary objectives were to analyze the time to recovery from early walking, length of hospital stay, and block-related complications between the two groups.

HYPOTHESIS

Patients with an adductor canal block and posterior capsular infiltration had less pain 24 h after TKA.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This single-center retrospective study included 774 TKA between January 2020 and March 2023. Two types of locoregional blocks were evaluated: patients who had a continuous femoral nerve block with a single-shot popliteal sciatic nerve block (FN-PSN group) operated on before March 2022 and those who had a single-shot adductor canal block combined with posterior capsular infiltration (ACB-PI group) operated on after March 2022. One patient in the ACB-PI group was matched to two patients in the NF-BS group according to sex, age, and BMI. A total of 725 TKA were included: 500 in the FN-PSN group and 225 in the ACB-PI group. The primary endpoint was pain assessed using the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) and opioid consumption at 24 h after TKA. Resumption of walking, defined as getting up for the first time and walking ten steps until discharge from the hospital, and complications between the two groups were also assessed. The study population consisted of 471 women (64.9%) with a mean age of 72.2 ± 8.2 years and a mean BMI of 28.2 ± 4.6.

RESULTS

Patients in the FN-PSN group had less pain at NPRS (1.3 versus 1.9; p < 0.001), and fewer patients required morphine titration (13.8% versus 6.8%, p = 0.02) within the first 8 h of surgery with no difference at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. The mean doses of morphine administered were similar between the groups. Resumption of walking was significantly longer in the FN-PSN group (1.5 versus 2.0 days, p = 0.003), and hospitalization times and complications were similar between the groups.

CONCLUSION

Adductor canal block combined with posterior capsular infiltration did not reduce postoperative pain compared with femoral and popliteal sciatic block at 24 h after TKA. Opioid consumption and pain were similar between the groups, with more patients requiring morphine in the first eight hours in the ACB-PI group but with a faster return to walking.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III; comparative study.

Efficacy of adding infiltration between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the posterior knee (IPACK) to adductor canal block and local infiltration analgesia in total knee arthroplasty: A retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Local infiltration analgesia (LIA), adductor canal block (ACB), and infiltration between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the posterior knee (IPACK) are popular multimodal analgesia techniques used during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to explore the efficacy of adding the IPACK technique to ACB and LIA in patients undergoing TKA.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, patients who underwent primary unilateral TKA were divided into two groups based on their date of admission. Sixty-three patients underwent IPACK, ACB and LIA (IPACK group) during surgery, while 60 patients underwent ACB and LIA (control group). The primary outcome was the postoperative administration of morphine hydrochloride as a rescue analgesic. Secondary outcomes included time to first rescue analgesia, postoperative pain assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), functional recovery assessed by knee range of motion and ambulation distance, time until hospital discharge, and complication rates.

RESULTS

The two groups were similar in average postoperative 0-to-24-h morphine consumption (11.8 mg for the control group vs 12.7 mg for the IPACK group, p = .428) and average total morphine consumption (18.2 mg vs 18.0 mg, p = .983) during hospitalization. There were also no significant differences in the secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of IPACK to ACB and LIA did not provide any clinical analgesic benefits. Orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists are justified in using ACB and LIA without IPACK for TKA.