title: Combined continuous "3-in-1" and sciatic nerve blocks provide improved postoperative analgesia with no correlation to catheter tip location after unilateral total knee arthroplasty.
abstract: This study assessed the efficacy and duration of postoperative analgesia after continuous sciatic nerve block with and without continuous "3-in-1" block with bupivacaine after unilateral total knee arthroplasty and determined catheter tip correlation with analgesia. Thirty patients were randomized into 2 groups. Results suggested significantly reduced pain and rescue analgesic requirement in combined sciatic and 3-in-1 (group TS) compared to 3-in-1 group alone (group T). The postoperative pain-free interval and satisfaction score was significantly higher in the combined group (P < .05). The percentage of catheters in the ideal position was 53.3% for 3-in-1 and 93.3% for sciatic nerve. In conclusion, continuous sciatic nerve block when added to continuous 3-in-1 block provides a better quality of analgesia with lesser requirements of rescue analgesics without the need for routine radiographic conformation.
authors: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors: Subramanyam
authors: S
authors: Rajeev
authors: Yatindra Kumar
authors: YK
authors: Batra
authors: Nidhi Bidyut
authors: NB
authors: Panda
authors: Mukesh
authors: M
authors: Kumar
authors: Onkar Nath
authors: ON
authors: Nagi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002045:Bupivacaine