Perineural Catheter Insertion Distance for Continuous Peripheral Nerve Blocks

University of California San Diego

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Post-operative Pain; Lower Extremity Surgery; Upper Extremity Surgery

Treatments: Procedure: Sciatic catheter left 0-1cm past needle tip vs. 5-6cm past needle tip

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00997867

Catheter Insertion Distance

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a research study to determine if the effects of continuous peripheral nerve blocks are influenced by the distance of insertion past the needle tip of the perineural catheter.

Full description

Specific Aim: Research study to determine the relationships between perineural catheter insertion distance and subsequent continuous peripheral nerve block effects.

Hypothesis: during ultrasound-guided perineural catheter placement, inserting the catheter 0-1cm past the needle tip is associated with decreased postoperative pain compared with inserting the catheter 5-6cm past the needle tip.

Enrollment: 350 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• undergoing surgery with a planned popliteal perineural catheter for postoperative analgesia
• age 18 years or older

Exclusion criteria

• pregnancy
• inability to communicate with the investigators and hospital staff
• incarceration
• clinical neuropathy in the surgical extremity
• chronic high-dose opioid use
• history of opioid abuse

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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350 participants in 2 patient groups

Catheter 0-1cm past needle tip

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will be receiving a sciatic (popliteal), femoral, or interscalene nerve block and will be randomized to having the catheter placed 0-1cm past the needle tip. The patient will be called the following day by research staff to assess their post-surgical pain.

Treatment:

Procedure: Sciatic catheter left 0-1cm past needle tip vs. 5-6cm past needle tip

Catheter placed 5-6cm past needle tip

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will be receiving a sciatic (popliteal), femoral, or interscalene nerve block and will be randomized to having the catheter placed 5-6cm past the needle tip. Patients will be called the following day by research staff to assess their post-surgical pain.

Treatment:

Procedure: Sciatic catheter left 0-1cm past needle tip vs. 5-6cm past needle tip