title: Prilocaine or mepivacaine for combined sciatic-femoral nerve block in patients receiving elective knee arthroscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the onset time of surgical block, recovery of motor function and duration of post-operative analgesia of combined sciatic-femoral nerve block performed with either mepivacaine or prilocaine.
  
  
  METHODS
  With Ethical Committee approval and written informed consent, 30 ASA physical status I-II patients, undergoing elective arthroscopic knee surgery, received a combined sciatic-femoral nerve block with 30 ml of either 2% mepivacaine (n=15) or 1% prilocaine (n=15). An independent observer recorded the onset time of sensory and motor blocks, the need for intraoperative analgesia supplementation, recovery of motor function, and first request of post-operative pain medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Onset time of nerve block required 15+/-5 min with prilocaine and 12+/-7 min with mepivacaine (p=0.33). No patient required general anesthesia to complete surgery; 3 patients receiving prilocaine (20%) and 2 patients receiving mepivacaine (13%) required 0.1 mg fentanyl intravenously to complete surgery (p=0.99). Recovery of motor function and first request of post-operative pain medication occurred after 238+/-36 min and 259+/-31 min with prilocaine, and 220+/-48 min and 248+/-47 min with mepivacaine (p=0.257 and p=0.43, respectively). Patient satisfaction was good in all studied patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prilocaine 1% provides adequate sensory and motor block for arthroscopic knee surgery, with a clinical profile similar to that produced by 2% mepivacaine, and may be a good option for surgical procedures of intermediate duration and not associated with severe postoperative pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Ankara Numune Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marsan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kirdemir
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mamo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casati
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D001182:Arthroscopy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005267:Femoral Nerve; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008619:Mepivacaine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block; D011318:Prilocaine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012584:Sciatic Nerve
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D011318:Prilocaine; D008619:Mepivacaine