ADDUCTOR CANAL BLOCK AND LOWER (INTERMUSCULAR) SAPHENOUS NERVE BLOCK IN ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT REPAIR UNDER GENERAL ANAESTHESIA: A PILOT RESEARCH

Abstract

Background: Postoperative pain persists from graft anchoring into the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Adductor canal block (ACB), on the contrary hand, is a motorsparing block, and the introduction of ultrasound guidance has boosted its success by facilitating the imaging of the adductor canal (AC). The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of the combined ACB and saphenous nerve block (SNB) in pain relief following knee arthroscopic ACL repair.

Methods: This pilot research was on15 cases aged from 19 to 50 years old, scheduled for elective ACL repair under general anesthesia. Ultrasound (US) guided ACB was done by injecting of 20 ml lidocaine 2%, along with US guided SNB at the upper boundary of the popliteal fossa in the intermuscular (IM) space between Vastus Medialis (VM) and Sartorius  (Sr) by injecting of 10ml bupivacaine 0.5%.

Results: 11 (73.33%) of cases had loss of sensation. Time to first analgesic request had (mean ± SD) of 9.07±2.02 h. Total morphine consumption showed (mean ± SD) of 5.33 ± 2.48 mg. AC bolus were of (mean ± SD) 0.87 ± 0.64 ml. Only 2(13.33%) of cases suffered of complications.

Conclusions: Presurgical combined US guided ACB and US guided SNB produced adequate analgesia with minimal incidence of complications following knee arthroscopic ACL repair.