Single Shot vs 24hr vs 48hr Continuous Adductor Canal Block After TKA

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Post Operative Pain Control; Osteoarthritis; Total Knee Arthroplasty

Treatments: Drug: 0.2% Ropivicaine at 8 milliliter/hour; Drug: 20ml bolus of 0.5% ropivicaine; Drug: 5ml bolus of 0.5% ropivicaine

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02730728

823219

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to compare a single shot block, 24 hours, and 48 hour continuous catheter nerve block done via the adductor canal method in adult patients who have under gone total knee arthroplasty. Visual analogue scores, opioid consumption, time to up and go, ambulation, manual muscle tests, and Tinetti scores up to 72 hours post operatively will be used for comparison.

Full description

If the patient is willing to participate and signs the consent, he/she will be randomized to one of the three treatment groups:

1. Single shot block
2. 24 hour catheter
3. 48 hour catheter

The choice of anesthetic technique will be at the discretion of the anesthesiologist. In our institution we usually advocate for spinal anesthesia for total knee arthroplasty. All patients will receive their multimodal perioperative pain protocol (MP3) medication as per protocol in the patient receiving area (400 mg of gabapentin, 200 mg of Celecoxib, and 1gm of acetaminophen).

Patients will be monitored during block performance with standard ASA monitors. All patients will be receiving 2 L of oxygen via a nasal cannula. Sedatives will be titrated to effect. Midazolam 1-2 mg, and fentanyl 50-100 mcg will be used for sedation.

Block time out will be preformed according to standard operating procedure. All blocks will be done under ultrasound guidance. Sonosite S nerve machine will be used with a high frequency linear (HFL) US probe with 6-13 MHZ frequency. Both single shot and continuous adductor canal block will be performed according to the standard operating practices in our department 4. Ultrasound survey at the medial part of the thigh will take place, halfway between the superior anterior iliac spine and the patella. In a short axis view, the femoral artery will be identified underneath the sartorius muscle, with the vein just inferior and the saphenous nerve just lateral to the artery. The needle will be introduced in-plane and 2 to 3 mL of local anesthesia bolus will be used to verify correct placement of the needle in the vicinity of the saphenous nerve in the adductor canal.

For single shot blocks: A bolus of total volume of 20 ml of ropivicaine 0.5% will be injected through the needle.

For the continuous block: The catheter will be introduced and advanced 2-3 cm beyond the tip of the needle under ultrasound visualization. The needle was withdrawn over the catheter. Injection of a bolus of 5 ml of ropivacaine 0.5% will take place through the catheter while observing the spread of local anesthetic under ultrasound. The catheter hub will be affixed to the upper lateral thigh with sterile occlusive dressings and an anchoring device.

Block success will be defined as a change in cutaneous sensation to touch with an alcohol pad in the saphenous nerve distribution over the medial leg within 30min after injection. Subjects with successful catheter placement per protocol and nerve block onset were retained in the study. Subjects with a failed catheter insertion or misplaced catheter indicated by a lack of sensory changes had their catheter replaced or were withdrawn from the study.

At the conclusion of surgery, the catheters will be connected to a pump that will infuse local anesthetic. Ropivicaine 0.2% at 8 ml/hour. In the postoperative anesthesia care unit, intermittent boluses of hydromorphone will be used as needed. Postoperative analgesia will follow the MP3 protocol. Drugs that are used for the multimodal analgesia protocol include acetaminophen (1 gm every 8 hours for 72 hours), celecoxib (200 mg every 8 hours for 72 hours), Gabapentin (300 mg every 8 hours for one week if the patient is opioid naïve and for two weeks if patients are opioid tolerant), and oxycodone (5-10-15 mg oral as needed every 4 hours for pain based on patient reported pain score).

All patients will receive prophylaxis for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) during surgery. The protocol for prophylaxis against PONV include administration of 4 mg of dexamethasone after induction of anesthesia and 4 mg of ondansetron 20 minutes before recovery from anesthesia. Dexamethasone is withheld if the patient has poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM). Uncontrolled DM will be defined as random blood glucose above 250 mg/dl.

Enrollment: 159 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients scheduled for primary total knee arthroplasty
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I -III
• mentally competent and able to give consent for enrollment in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Patient younger than 18 years old
• Allergy to local anesthetics, systemic opioids (fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone, and any of the drugs included in the multimodal perioperative pain protocol (MP3)
• Revision surgery
• Impaired kidney functions and patient with coagulopathy
• Chronic pain syndromes; Patients will be defined to have chronic pain if they are using regular daily doses of systemic narcotics for the past 3 months prior to the surgery
• BMI of 40 or more
• Pregnancy (positive urine pregnancy test result in Preop area on morning of surgery)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

159 participants in 3 patient groups

Single shot adductor canal block

Active Comparator group

Description:

adductor canal block group will receive single shot adductor canal block with 20ml bolus of 0.5% ropivicaine for analgesia after TKA

Treatment:

Drug: 20ml bolus of 0.5% ropivicaine

24 hour continuous adductor canal block

Active Comparator group

Description:

adductor canal block group will receive 24 hour continuous adductor canal block (0.2% Ropivicaine at 8 milliliter/hour) with initial 5ml bolus of 0.5% Ropivicaine for analgesia after TKA

Treatment:

Drug: 5ml bolus of 0.5% ropivicaine

Drug: 0.2% Ropivicaine at 8 milliliter/hour

48 hour continuous adductor canal block

Active Comparator group

Description:

adductor canal block group will receive 48 hour continuous adductor canal block (0.2% Ropivicaine at 8 milliliter/hour) with initial 5ml bolus of 0.5% Ropivicaine for analgesia after TKA

Treatment:

Drug: 5ml bolus of 0.5% ropivicaine

Drug: 0.2% Ropivicaine at 8 milliliter/hour