[Effect of continuous femoral nerve block in analgesia and the early rehabilitation after total knee replacement].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the benefit and safety of continuous femoral nerve block in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.


METHODS
From December 2008 to August 2009, 80 patients with total knee arthroplasty were randomly divided into two groups, 40 patients in each group. In group A the pain-control was dominanted by continuous femoral nerve block, there were 5 males adn 35 females with an average age of (65.0 +/- 4.2) years old; In group B the pump of vein odynolysis was used, there were 5 males and 35 females with an average age of (64.7 +/- 8.5) years old. The treatment of relieve pain continued for 3 days. The pain of visual analog scale (VAS), sleep condition, early-stage rehabilitation and adverse effects were recorded.


RESULTS
The VAS scores of group A was lower than that of group B at 2, 6, 24, 36, 48, 56, 72 h after operation (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); The sleep condition and early-stage rehabilitation of group A were better than that of group B. The complications of group B occurrenced more than group A; The analgetica of group B were used more than that of group A.


CONCLUSIONS
The continuous femoral nerve block is an effective pain relieve method and is benefical to rehabilitation from total knee arthroplasty early.
Department of Orthopaedics, Beijing China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.
Hua-Peng
HP
Yu
Zhao-Hui
ZH
Liu
Wan-Shou
WS
Guo
Hong-Yang
HY
Jiang
Jing
J
Zhao
D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005267:Femoral Nerve; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*