Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Local Anesthetic Injection Into or Around the Sciatic Nerve for Lower Limb Anesthesia

NCT ID: NCT01999647

Last Updated: 2013-12-04

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

64 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2011-12-31

Study Completion Date

2012-12-31

Brief Summary

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This study was designed to assess whether the injection of local anesthetic into the nerve (intraneural), as opposed to around it (perineural), requires a shorter time to develop surgical anesthesia of the lower leg.

The investigators will compare the two types of injection using the same drug, so as to determine if there is an actual difference onset time. They will also examine the overall success rate of either kind of sciatic nerve blocks as the sole anesthetic for non-emergent orthopedic surgery.

The safety of these procedures will be examined by in-hospital and phone-call follow-up contacts.

Detailed Description

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This will be a randomized, controlled, patient- and observer-blinded trial assessing block characteristics after intra- or perineural injection of ropivacaine for subgluteal sciatic nerve blocks performed for elective surgery of the lower limb.

Conditions

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Orthopedic Disorders Foot Diseases Injuries, Leg Injuries, Foot Injuries, Knee

Keywords

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Lower Extremity Sciatic Nerve Anesthetics, Local Ropivacaine Ultrasonography

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Perineural

Patients in this group will receive a perineural injection for subgluteal sciatic nerve block under real-time, short-axis, in-plane ultrasound guidance, in addition to a femoral nerve block and patient-controlled postoperative analgesia. Ropivacaine will be used for the sciatic nerve block, whereas the choice of agent for the femoral nerve block is left to the attending anesthesiologist.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Perineural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

The injection will start as the needle indents the outermost discernible layer of the nerve (epineurium) under ultrasound guidance. The injection will be adjudicated as "intraneural" if the drug infiltrates the space between the epimysium of the surrounding muscles and the outer epineurium of the sciatic nerve.

Short-axis real-time ultrasound imaging will be used, with an in-plane needle approach.

Femoral Nerve Block

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Patients will receive an ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block using a short- or long-acting local anesthetic, as deemed indicated.

Patient-Controlled Postoperative Analgesia

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Patients will receive a patient-controlled intravenous or perineural catheter-based analgesia, depending on their preference and the anesthesiologist's indication.

Ropivacaine

Intervention Type DRUG

Thirty milliliters of 0.75% (wt/vol) ropivacaine will be used for the sciatic nerve block.

Intraneural

Patients in this group will receive an intraneural injection for subgluteal sciatic nerve block under real-time, short-axis, in-plane ultrasound guidance, in addition to a femoral nerve block and patient-controlled postoperative analgesia. Ropivacaine will be used for the sciatic nerve block, whereas the choice of agent for the femoral nerve block is left to the attending anesthesiologist.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Intraneural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

The injection will start as the needle penetrates the outermost discernible layer of the nerve (epineurium) under ultrasound guidance. The injection will be adjudicated as "intraneural" if nerve cross section expansion and a reduction in echogenicity are observed.

Short-axis real-time ultrasound imaging will be used, with an in-plane needle approach.

Femoral Nerve Block

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Patients will receive an ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block using a short- or long-acting local anesthetic, as deemed indicated.

Patient-Controlled Postoperative Analgesia

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Patients will receive a patient-controlled intravenous or perineural catheter-based analgesia, depending on their preference and the anesthesiologist's indication.

Ropivacaine

Intervention Type DRUG

Thirty milliliters of 0.75% (wt/vol) ropivacaine will be used for the sciatic nerve block.

Interventions

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Intraneural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block

The injection will start as the needle penetrates the outermost discernible layer of the nerve (epineurium) under ultrasound guidance. The injection will be adjudicated as "intraneural" if nerve cross section expansion and a reduction in echogenicity are observed.

Short-axis real-time ultrasound imaging will be used, with an in-plane needle approach.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Perineural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block

The injection will start as the needle indents the outermost discernible layer of the nerve (epineurium) under ultrasound guidance. The injection will be adjudicated as "intraneural" if the drug infiltrates the space between the epimysium of the surrounding muscles and the outer epineurium of the sciatic nerve.

Short-axis real-time ultrasound imaging will be used, with an in-plane needle approach.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Femoral Nerve Block

Patients will receive an ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block using a short- or long-acting local anesthetic, as deemed indicated.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Patient-Controlled Postoperative Analgesia

Patients will receive a patient-controlled intravenous or perineural catheter-based analgesia, depending on their preference and the anesthesiologist's indication.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Ropivacaine

Thirty milliliters of 0.75% (wt/vol) ropivacaine will be used for the sciatic nerve block.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Injection beneath the common investing extraneural layer Subepineural Injection Gluteal sciatic nerve block Subparaneural injection Injection outside the common investing extraneural layer Epineural injection Extraneural injection Injection outside the paraneurium PCA PCIVA PCCPNB Patient-controlled continuous peripheral nerve block Local Anesthetic Naropin Naropine

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Undergoing non-emergent orthopedic procedure of knee, leg, foot with thigh tourniquet
* ASA Physical Status Class I-III
* Consenting to surgery under peripheral nerve block anesthesia (sciatic + femoral/saphenous block)

Exclusion Criteria

* Unable to understand or communicate for the purpose of the study
* Exhibiting any neurological disturbance of the ipsilateral lower extremity
* Inability to satisfactorily image the sciatic nerve in the opinion of the attending anesthesiologist
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Parma

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Marco Baciarello

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Marco Baciarello, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Parma

Locations

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Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine - University of Parma

Parma, PR, Italy

Site Status

Countries

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Italy

References

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Tran DQ, Dugani S, Pham K, Al-Shaafi A, Finlayson RJ. A randomized comparison between subepineural and conventional ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2011 Nov-Dec;36(6):548-52. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0b013e318235f566.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22005661 (View on PubMed)

Andersen HL, Andersen SL, Tranum-Jensen J. Injection inside the paraneural sheath of the sciatic nerve: direct comparison among ultrasound imaging, macroscopic anatomy, and histologic analysis. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2012 Jul-Aug;37(4):410-4. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0b013e31825145f3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22609646 (View on PubMed)

Robards C, Hadzic A, Somasundaram L, Iwata T, Gadsden J, Xu D, Sala-Blanch X. Intraneural injection with low-current stimulation during popliteal sciatic nerve block. Anesth Analg. 2009 Aug;109(2):673-7. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e3181aa2d73.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19608846 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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ANEST-ORT-04

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id