The Effect of Femoral Nerve Block on Opioid Requirements After Surgery for a Femur Fracture in Children

University of British Columbia

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 1

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative

Treatments

Procedure: Administration of a femoral nerve block (bupivacaine HCL)

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00175591

H05-70077

W05-0025

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the effect of a femoral nerve block on opioid requirements following femoral fracture fixation with flexible nails in the paediatric population. This is a double blind, prospective randomized clinical trial.

Enrollment

25 patients

Sex

All

Ages

5 to 12 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Femoral shaft fracture requiring intra-medullary nailing
Surgery performed within 24 hours of injury
Ability of child or family to use patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)
No allergy or sensitivity to bupivacaine
Informed consent and assent

Exclusion criteria

Open femur fractures
Closed fractures needing open reduction
Fractures associated with neurovascular complications
Fractures associated with compartment syndrome
Repeat femoral surgeries
Patients who received a femoral nerve block more than 1 hour prior to surgery
Complex associated injuries or pre-existing condition that will delay time to ambulation
Children who are allergic and/or sensitive to bupivacaine