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Saphenous Nerve Block Versus Femoral Nerve Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty

NCT01333943 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 94

Last updated 2022-05-11

Study results available
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Summary

Currently, the regional anesthetic standard of care for total knee replacement surgery is combined spinal/epidural, with or without a femoral nerve block, or FNB. Lasting approximately 18 hours, the FNB works by numbing the femoral nerve (and its branches), which is the major nerve controlling the knee joint. The femoral nerve also provides movement and sensation. While this regional anesthetic technique offers significant postoperative pain relief, it is possible that it may cause muscle weakness and increase patients' recovery time. Hence there is a need for an alternative technique, one that may help minimize postoperative pain as effectively as the FNB, while not causing weakness of the quadriceps muscle.

The saphenous nerve, a branch of the femoral nerve, provides sensation to the knee. Thus it is hypothesized that by "blocking" or anesthetizing the saphenous nerve with local anesthetic closer to where it branches off, the area around and below the knee will feel numb. Yet unlike with the FNB, the quadriceps muscle itself will still be able to function.

Patients will be randomized to receive FNB or saphenous nerve block. Quadriceps strength will be tested using a dynamometer before surgery (baseline), 6-8 hours following anesthesia administration, and on postoperative days 1 and 2. It is hypothesized that patients who receive FNB will experience a 50% decrease in quadriceps strength compared to baseline.

Conditions

  • Total Knee Arthroplasty

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Study Group: Experimental

The study group will receive the saphenous nerve block, at the level of the adductor canal. The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 15 ml of 0.5% bupivicaine. The study group will also receive a combined spinal epidural, with 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Additional drugs include anti-emetics, specifically Ondansetron (4 mg).

PROCEDURE

Control Group

The control group will receive the femoral nerve block. The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 30 ml of 0.25% bupivicaine. The control group will also receive a combined spinal epidural, with 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Additional drugs include anti-emetics, specifically Ondansetron (4 mg).

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • David H. Kim, MD · Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
90 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2011-03-31
Primary Completion
2011-11-30
Completion
2011-11-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01333943 on ClinicalTrials.gov