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Local infiltration analgesia plus adductor canal block improves ambulation after TKA
The use of local infiltration analgesia with the addition of adductor canal block improved ambulation during the first postoperative day after total knee arthroplasty compared to continuous femoral nerve block, according to results of this study.
“Local infiltration analgesia was associated with improved early analgesia and ambulation,” Anahi Perlas, MD, FRCPC, and colleagues wrote in the study abstract. “The addition of adductor canal nerve block was associated with further improvements in early ambulation and a higher incidence of home discharge.”
Perlas and colleagues examined 298 patients during an 8-month period who were divided into groups based on anesthesia technique used. The researchers found local infiltration both with and without adductor canal block improved pain scores at rest and lowered opioid consumption in the initial 24-hour postoperative period compared to a continuous femoral nerve block, according to the abstract.
Patients who received local infiltration plus adductor canal block showed improved walking distance and rate of home discharge compared to the patients with local infiltration alone.
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