Dexmedetomidine Combined With Ropivacaine for Postoperative Continuous Femoral Nerve Block

NCT ID: NCT03629483

Last Updated: 2025-08-03

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

PHASE4

Total Enrollment

3 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-12-10

Study Completion Date

2018-12-14

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Delirium is common in the elderly after orthopedic surgery and is associated with worse outcomes. Continuous femoral nerve block is frequently used for postoperative analgesia after total knee arthoplasty. The investigators hypothesize that dexmedetomidine, when combined with ropivacaine for continuous femoral nerve block, can reduce the incidence of delirium and improve the long-term outcome in elderly patients after total knee arthroplasty.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

A growing number of elderly patients undergo total knee arthroplasty. Delirium is a common complication in these patients after surgery and is associated with worse outcomes, including prolonged hospital stay, poor functional recovery, decreased cognitive function, increased health care costs, and elevated mortality rate. Dexmedetomidine has been shown to prolong the duration of nerve block without neurotoxicity and improve postoperative sleep quality. The investigators hypothesize that dexmedetomidine, when combined with ropivacaine for continuous femoral nerve block, can reduce the incidence of delirium and improve the long-term outcome in elderly patients after total knee arthroplasty.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Elderly Knee Arthroplasty Nerve Block Dexmedetomidine Postoperative Delirium Long-term Outcome

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Dexmedetomidine group

For patients in the dexmedetomidine group, postoperative analgesia is provided in the form of continuous femoral nerve block. The formula contains a mixture of 0.2% ropivacaine 250 ml and 3.75 ug/kg dexmedetomidine. The analgesic pump is set to administer a continuous infusion at a rate of 5 ml/h for 48 hours (equivalent to dexmedetomidine infusion at a rate of 0.075 ug/kg/h).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Dexmedetomidine

Intervention Type DRUG

Patients in this group receive continuous femoral nerve block analgesia for 48 hours after surgery. The formula is a mixture of 0.2% ropivacaine 250ml and 3.75 ug/kg dexmedetomidine. The analgesic pump is set to administer a continuous infusion at a rate of 5 ml/h (equivalent to a dexmedetomidine infusion at a rate of 0.075 ug/kg/h).

Control group

For patients in the control group, postoperative analgesia is provided in the form of continuous femoral nerve block. The formula contains a mixture of 0.2% ropivacaine 250 ml and placebo (normal saline). The analgesic pump is set to administer a continuous infusion at a rate of 5 ml/h for 48 hours.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Patients in this group receive continuous femoral nerve block analgesia for 48 hours after surgery. The formula is a mixture of 0.2% ropivacaine 250 ml and placebo. The analgesic pump is set to administer a continuous infusion at a rate of 5 ml/h.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Dexmedetomidine

Patients in this group receive continuous femoral nerve block analgesia for 48 hours after surgery. The formula is a mixture of 0.2% ropivacaine 250ml and 3.75 ug/kg dexmedetomidine. The analgesic pump is set to administer a continuous infusion at a rate of 5 ml/h (equivalent to a dexmedetomidine infusion at a rate of 0.075 ug/kg/h).

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Patients in this group receive continuous femoral nerve block analgesia for 48 hours after surgery. The formula is a mixture of 0.2% ropivacaine 250 ml and placebo. The analgesic pump is set to administer a continuous infusion at a rate of 5 ml/h.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

Continuous femoral nerve block with ropivacaine Continuous femoral nerve block with ropivacaine

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Elderly patients (≥ 65 years but \< 90 years);
* Scheduled to undergo single total knee arthroplasty;
* Planned to receive continuous femoral nerve block for postoperative analgesia.

Exclusion Criteria

* Refuse to participate in this study;
* Preoperative history of schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinsonism, or myasthenia gravis;
* Inability to communicate in the preoperative period because of coma, profound dementia or language barrier;
* Preoperative hemorrhagic disease or coagulopathy (platelet count, prothrombin time and/or activated partial thrombin time below the lower limit of normal);
* Preoperative obstructive sleep apnea (diagnosed as obstructive sleep apnea, or STOP-Bang score ≥3);
* Preoperative sick sinus syndrome, severe sinus bradycardia (\< 50 beats per minute), or second-degree or above atrioventricular block without pacemaker;
* Severe hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh class C);
* Severe renal dysfunction (requirement of renal replacement therapy before surgery);
* ASA classification ≥ IV or unlikely to survive for more than 24 hours after surgery.
Minimum Eligible Age

65 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

90 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Beijing Jishuitan Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Peking University First Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Dong-Xin Wang

Professor and Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Dong-Xin Wang, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Peking University First Hospital

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Mu DL, Zhang DZ, Wang DX, Wang G, Li CJ, Meng ZT, Li YW, Liu C, Li XY. Parecoxib Supplementation to Morphine Analgesia Decreases Incidence of Delirium in Elderly Patients After Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Anesth Analg. 2017 Jun;124(6):1992-2000. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000002095.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28525512 (View on PubMed)

Kalisvaart KJ, de Jonghe JF, Bogaards MJ, Vreeswijk R, Egberts TC, Burger BJ, Eikelenboom P, van Gool WA. Haloperidol prophylaxis for elderly hip-surgery patients at risk for delirium: a randomized placebo-controlled study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Oct;53(10):1658-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53503.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16181163 (View on PubMed)

Su X, Meng ZT, Wu XH, Cui F, Li HL, Wang DX, Zhu X, Zhu SN, Maze M, Ma D. Dexmedetomidine for prevention of delirium in elderly patients after non-cardiac surgery: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2016 Oct 15;388(10054):1893-1902. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30580-3. Epub 2016 Aug 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27542303 (View on PubMed)

Zhang DF, Su X, Meng ZT, Li HL, Wang DX, Xue-Ying Li, Maze M, Ma D. Impact of Dexmedetomidine on Long-term Outcomes After Noncardiac Surgery in Elderly: 3-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg. 2019 Aug;270(2):356-363. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000002801.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29742525 (View on PubMed)

Wang XL, Wang J, Mu DL, Wang DX. [Dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine for continuous femoral nerve block improved postoperative sleep quality in elderly patients after total knee arthroplasty]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2018 Mar 13;98(10):728-732. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0376-2491.2018.10.003. Chinese.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29562395 (View on PubMed)

Choy WS, Lee SK, Kim KJ, Kam BS, Yang DS, Bae KW. Two continuous femoral nerve block strategies after TKA. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2011 Nov;19(11):1901-8. doi: 10.1007/s00167-011-1510-4. Epub 2011 Apr 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21484386 (View on PubMed)

Duarte VM, Fallis WM, Slonowsky D, Kwarteng K, Yeung CK. Effectiveness of femoral nerve blockade for pain control after total knee arthroplasty. J Perianesth Nurs. 2006 Oct;21(5):311-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jopan.2006.05.011.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17027440 (View on PubMed)

Abdulatif M, Fawzy M, Nassar H, Hasanin A, Ollaek M, Mohamed H. The effects of perineural dexmedetomidine on the pharmacodynamic profile of femoral nerve block: a dose-finding randomised, controlled, double-blind study. Anaesthesia. 2016 Oct;71(10):1177-85. doi: 10.1111/anae.13603.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27611039 (View on PubMed)

Brummett CM, Hong EK, Janda AM, Amodeo FS, Lydic R. Perineural dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine for sciatic nerve block in rats prolongs the duration of analgesia by blocking the hyperpolarization-activated cation current. Anesthesiology. 2011 Oct;115(4):836-43. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e318221fcc9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21666435 (View on PubMed)

Al-Metwalli RR, Mowafi HA, Ismail SA, Siddiqui AK, Al-Ghamdi AM, Shafi MA, El-Saleh AR. Effect of intra-articular dexmedetomidine on postoperative analgesia after arthroscopic knee surgery. Br J Anaesth. 2008 Sep;101(3):395-9. doi: 10.1093/bja/aen184. Epub 2008 Jun 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18567675 (View on PubMed)

Brummett CM, Norat MA, Palmisano JM, Lydic R. Perineural administration of dexmedetomidine in combination with bupivacaine enhances sensory and motor blockade in sciatic nerve block without inducing neurotoxicity in rat. Anesthesiology. 2008 Sep;109(3):502-11. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e318182c26b.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18719449 (View on PubMed)

Behera BK, Puri GD, Ghai B. Patient-controlled epidural analgesia with fentanyl and bupivacaine provides better analgesia than intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia for early thoracotomy pain. J Postgrad Med. 2008 Apr-Jun;54(2):86-90. doi: 10.4103/0022-3859.40772.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18480522 (View on PubMed)

Halaszynski TM. Pain management in the elderly and cognitively impaired patient: the role of regional anesthesia and analgesia. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2009 Oct;22(5):594-9. doi: 10.1097/ACO.0b013e32833020dc.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19623056 (View on PubMed)

Kosar CM, Tabloski PA, Travison TG, Jones RN, Schmitt EM, Puelle MR, Inloes JB, Saczynski JS, Marcantonio ER, Meagher D, Reid MC, Inouye SK. EFFECT OF PREOPERATIVE PAIN AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF POSTOPERATIVE DELIRIUM. Lancet Psychiatry. 2014 Nov;1(6):431-436. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(14)00006-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25642413 (View on PubMed)

Siddiqi N, Harrison JK, Clegg A, Teale EA, Young J, Taylor J, Simpkins SA. Interventions for preventing delirium in hospitalised non-ICU patients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Mar 11;3(3):CD005563. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005563.pub3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26967259 (View on PubMed)

Bickel H, Gradinger R, Kochs E, Forstl H. High risk of cognitive and functional decline after postoperative delirium. A three-year prospective study. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2008;26(1):26-31. doi: 10.1159/000140804. Epub 2008 Jun 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18577850 (View on PubMed)

Quinlan N, Rudolph JL. Postoperative delirium and functional decline after noncardiac surgery. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011 Nov;59 Suppl 2:S301-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03679.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22091577 (View on PubMed)

Shi CM, Wang DX, Chen KS, Gu XE. Incidence and risk factors of delirium in critically ill patients after non-cardiac surgery. Chin Med J (Engl). 2010 Apr 20;123(8):993-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20497703 (View on PubMed)

McDaniel M, Brudney C. Postoperative delirium: etiology and management. Curr Opin Crit Care. 2012 Aug;18(4):372-6. doi: 10.1097/MCC.0b013e3283557211.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22732435 (View on PubMed)

Dyer CB, Ashton CM, Teasdale TA. Postoperative delirium. A review of 80 primary data-collection studies. Arch Intern Med. 1995 Mar 13;155(5):461-5. doi: 10.1001/archinte.155.5.461.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7864702 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

DEX 20180516

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Dexmedetomidine Intra Venous Arthroplasty
NCT03834129 COMPLETED PHASE3