Saphenous Nerve Block vs. Femoral Nerve Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty

NCT ID: NCT01505374

Last Updated: 2022-04-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2012-03-31
• Study Completion Date: 2013-09-30

Brief Summary

Currently, the regional anesthetic standard of care for total knee replacement surgery is combined spinal/epidural to provide long-lasting pain relief with or without a femoral nerve block (FNB). The femoral nerve block refers to a technique that your anesthesiologist can use to numb the thigh muscle for approximately 18 hours after surgery. While this technique offers significant pain relief, it is possible it may cause muscle weakness and increase patients' recovery times. Hence there is a need for an alterative anesthetic technique, one that may help minimize postoperative pain as effectively as a femoral nerve block, while not causing weakness of the thigh muscle.

The saphenous nerve, a branch of the femoral nerve, provides sensation to the knee. Thus it is hypothesized 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 the femoral nerve block, the thigh muscle itself will still be able to function.

For patients undergoing two total knee replacements at one time or bilateral total knee replacement, they will be randomly assigned to receive a femoral nerve block on one leg and a saphenous block on the other. Pain levels will be measured and thigh muscle strength will be tested using a dynamometer before surgery, 6-8 hours following anesthesia administration, and on postoperative days 1 and 2.

Conditions

Difference Between Femoral Nerve Block and Saphenous Block

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Study Technique Left Leg, Control Technique Right Leg

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Study Technique

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

One leg will receive the saphenous nerve block, at the level of the adductor canal (study technique). The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 15 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. All study patients, regardless of study arm will receive combined spinal epidural, with 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Epidural local anesthetic, if needed, will consist of 2% lidocaine.

Control Technique

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

The other leg will receive the femoral nerve block (control technique). The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 30 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. All study patients, regardless of study arm will receive combined spinal epidural, with 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Epidural local anesthetic, if needed, will consist of 2% lidocaine.

Study Technique Right Leg, Control Technique Left Leg

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Study Technique

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

One leg will receive the saphenous nerve block, at the level of the adductor canal (study technique). The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 15 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. All study patients, regardless of study arm will receive combined spinal epidural, with 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Epidural local anesthetic, if needed, will consist of 2% lidocaine.

Control Technique

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

The other leg will receive the femoral nerve block (control technique). The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 30 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. All study patients, regardless of study arm will receive combined spinal epidural, with 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Epidural local anesthetic, if needed, will consist of 2% lidocaine.

Interventions

Study Technique

One leg will receive the saphenous nerve block, at the level of the adductor canal (study technique). The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 15 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. All study patients, regardless of study arm will receive combined spinal epidural, with 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Epidural local anesthetic, if needed, will consist of 2% lidocaine.

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Control Technique

The other leg will receive the femoral nerve block (control technique). The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 30 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. All study patients, regardless of study arm will receive combined spinal epidural, with 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Epidural local anesthetic, if needed, will consist of 2% lidocaine.

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• All patients ages 40-80 undergoing Bilateral Total Knee Replacement
• Planned use of neuraxial anesthesia
• Ability to follow study protocol

Exclusion Criteria

• Contraindication to a spinal or epidural anesthestic
• Not a candidate for bilateral total knee replacement
• Chronic opioid use (defined as daily or almost daily use of opioids for >3 months)
• Hypersensitivity and/or allergy to local anesthetics
• Intraoperative use of any volatile anesthetic
• Patients with pre-existing neuropathy on the operative limb
• Contraindication to femoral nerve block or saphenous nerve block
• Allergy to any of the study medications
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Class 4-5
• Non-English speaking patients

• Minimum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Stavros G. Memtsoudis, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

Locations

Hospital for Special Surgery

New York, New York, United States

Countries

United States

References

Capdevila X, Barthelet Y, Biboulet P, Ryckwaert Y, Rubenovitch J, d'Athis F. Effects of perioperative analgesic technique on the surgical outcome and duration of rehabilitation after major knee surgery. Anesthesiology. 1999 Jul;91(1):8-15. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199907000-00006.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 10422923 (View on PubMed)

Singelyn FJ, Ferrant T, Malisse MF, Joris D. Effects of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with morphine, continuous epidural analgesia, and continuous femoral nerve sheath block on rehabilitation after unilateral total-hip arthroplasty. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2005 Sep-Oct;30(5):452-7. doi: 10.1016/j.rapm.2005.05.008.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 16135349 (View on PubMed)

Kandasami M, Kinninmonth AW, Sarungi M, Baines J, Scott NB. Femoral nerve block for total knee replacement - a word of caution. Knee. 2009 Mar;16(2):98-100. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2008.10.007. Epub 2008 Nov 28.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 19046884 (View on PubMed)

Horn JL, Pitsch T, Salinas F, Benninger B. Anatomic basis to the ultrasound-guided approach for saphenous nerve blockade. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2009 Sep-Oct;34(5):486-9. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0b013e3181ae11af.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 19920424 (View on PubMed)

Akkaya T, Ersan O, Ozkan D, Sahiner Y, Akin M, Gumus H, Ates Y. Saphenous nerve block is an effective regional technique for post-menisectomy pain. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2008 Sep;16(9):855-8. doi: 10.1007/s00167-008-0572-4. Epub 2008 Jun 24.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 18574578 (View on PubMed)

Manickam B, Perlas A, Duggan E, Brull R, Chan VW, Ramlogan R. Feasibility and efficacy of ultrasound-guided block of the saphenous nerve in the adductor canal. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2009 Nov-Dec;34(6):578-80. doi: 10.1097/aap.0b013e3181bfbf84.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 19916251 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

2012-033

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id