NCT00803348

Continuous Femoral Nerve Blockade and Readiness to Discharge Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

The Secret Recipe for Femoral Nerve Blockade After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 99 (actual)
• Sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Patients undergoing total knee arthroscopy (knee replacement) surgery usually receive a femoral nerve block as part of their anesthetic care. Some centers administer the block with a single shot of local anesthetic, which wears off several hours after surgery. Other centers administer the block with a single shot followed by continuous infusion of local anesthetic, typically for 2 to 5 days after surgery. The latter method, though good for pain control, may result in decreased mobility (while the anesthetic is still active), longer hospital stays, and greater risk of falls. This study will see if using a lower concentration of local anesthetic for the continuous femoral nerve block or only the initial single-shot dose will result in increased mobility and shorter hospital stays.

Conditions

• Knee Arthroplasty

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Bolus of 0.2% ropivicaine 20 mls followed by 0.2% ropivicaine at an infusion rate of 5mls/hr until 0600 on postoperative day 2	Initial bolus of 0.2% ropivicaine 20 mls into the femoral catheter followed by 0.2% ropivicaine at an infusion rate of 5mls/hr with patient controlled boluses of 5ml available every 30 mins, until 0600 on the morning of postoperative day 2
DRUG	Bolus of 0.2% ropivicaine 20 mls followed by 0.1% ropivicaine at an infusion rate of 10mls/hr until 0600 on post-operative day 2	Initial bolus of 0.2% ropivicaine 20 mls into the femoral catheter followed by 0.1% ropivicaine at an infusion rate of 10mls/hr with patient controlled boluses of 10mls available every 30 mins, until 0600 on the morning of postoperative day 2
DRUG	Saline control	Bolus of 0.375% ropivicaine 30 mls followed by saline infusion until 0600 on postoperative day 2

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-05-01
• Primary completion: 2011-10-01
• Completion: 2011-10-01
• First posted: 2008-12-05
• Last updated: 2012-04-26

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada