The Effect of Bilateral Femoral Nerve Block Combined with Intravenous Patient-controlled Analgesia after a Bilateral Total Knee Replacement

Effects of adductor canal block on pain management compared with epidural analgesia for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty: A randomized controlled trial protocol

BACKGROUND

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is known to be a painful orthopedic procedure and moderate to severe pain is common, especially immediately postoperatively and during active motion. The aim of the present study was to compare epidural analgesia (EA) and adductor canal block (ACB) techniques with regard to early period pain levels, need for additional opioids, and ambulation and functional scores in patients who had undergone primary TKA.

METHODS

Approval for the study was granted by the Changji Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. Written informed consent will be obtained from all of the participants. Inclusion criteria included the following: planned unilateral TKA; spinal anesthesia; American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification score of I to III. Prospective assessment will be done for 100 patients who are scheduled for unilateral primary TKA surgery in our academic hospital by a single senior surgeon between August 2020 and December 2021. Patients were randomized to ACB treatment or EA treatment by a computer random number generator. The primary outcome was visual analog scale pain scores in the immediate postoperative period. Secondary outcomes included postoperative opioid use, length of hospital stay, activity level during physical therapy, and knee range of motion. Results were evaluated in a confidence interval of 95% and at a significance level of P < .05.

CONCLUSIONS

We hypothesized that standard ACB would be as effective as EA for postoperative pain management following TKA.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study protocol was registered in Research Registry (researchregistry5775).

The analgesic efficacy of the continuous adductor canal block compared to continuous intravenous fentanyl infusion with a single-shot adductor canal block in total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial

Background

The adductor canal block (ACB) is an effective intervention for postoperative analgesia following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the ideal ACB regimen has not yet been established. We compared the analgesic effects between a continuous ACB group and fentanyl-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) with a single-shot ACB group.

Methods

Patients who underwent TKA were randomly allocated to either a continuous ACB group (Group CACB) or IV-PCA with a single-shot ACB group (Group IVACB). Before the surgery, ultrasound guided ACB with 0.5% ropivacaine 20 cc was provided to all patients. Before skin incision, the infusion system (0.2% ropivacaine through an adductor canal catheter in group CACB vs. intravenous fentanyl in group IVACB) was connected. The postoperative pain severity; the side effects of local anesthetics and opioids; administration of rescue analgesics and anti-emetics; and sensorimotor deficits were measured.

Results

Postoperative pain severity was significantly higher in the IVACB group at 30 min, 4 h, 24 h, and 48 h after surgery. The averages and standard deviations (SD) of the NRS score of postoperative pain were 0.14 ± 0.37, 4.57 ± 2.37, 6.00 ± 1.63, and 4.28 ± 1.49, respectively in the IVACB group. Rescue analgesic requirements and quadriceps muscle strength were not statistically different between the groups throughout the postoperative period. Moreover, rescue antiemetic requirements were higher in group IVACB than group CACB.

Conclusions

In this study, the continuous ACB provided superior analgesia and fewer side effects without any significant motor deficit than the IV-PCA with a single-shot ACB.

Intravenous Patient-controlled Analgesia Has a Positive Effect on the Prognosis of Delirium in Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery

BACKGROUND

Postoperative delirium is relatively common. However, the relationship between intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) and delirium has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of IV-PCA on the prognosis of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

METHODS

Medical records of 129 patients with postoperative delirium were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they used IV-PCA with fentanyl and ketorolac. The IV-PCA group consisted of 73 patients who were managed with IV-PCA; the NO-PCA group consisted of 56 patients who were managed without PCA.

RESULTS

Incidences of multiple psychiatric consultations and prolonged delirium were significantly lower in patients using IV-PCA with fentanyl and ketorolac than in those without PCA.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend the use of IV-PCA for pain control and management of delirium in patients with postoperative delirium.

Effect of continuous psoas compartment block and intravenous patient controlled analgesia on postoperative pain control after total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) generates severe postoperative pain in 60% of patients and moderate pain in 30% of patients. Because inadequate postoperative pain control can hinder early physiotherapy and rehabilitation, it is the most influential factor dictating a good outcome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of continuous psoas compartment block (PCB) in comparison to intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IVPCA) in TKA patients.

METHODS

40 TKA patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group IVPCA (n = 20) received intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IVPCA) for 48 hours. Group PCB (n = 20) received continuous PCB for 48 hours at the fourth intertransverse process of the lumbar using the C-arm. Pain scores, side effects, satisfaction, the length of hospital stay, rescue antiemetics, and analgesics were recorded.

RESULTS

Pain scores (VNRS 0-100) were higher in Group IVPCA than in Group PCB. Nausea and sedation occurred more frequently in Group IVPCA than in Group PCB. There were no differences between the groups in the length of the hospital stay, satisfaction scores, and the use of rescue antiemetics and analgesics.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous PCB seemed to be an appropriate and reliable technique for TKA patients, because it provided better analgesia and fewer side effects such as nausea and sedation when compared to IVPCA.