Femoral nerve block vs adductor canal block after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction under general anesthesia: A prospective randomized trial protocol

Abstract

Background: Femoral nerve block (FNB) is considered the preferred analgesia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), but leads to weakness in the quadriceps muscles. Adductor canal block (ACB) is a new sensory block technique that effectively relieves postoperative pain while preserving quadriceps strength. The purpose of our study was to compare the efficacy of FNB vs ACB for pain control after ACLR.

Methods: This prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled, superiority clinical trial was approved by the institutional review board in our university hospital. We enrolled 120 patients set to undergo ACLR in this randomized therapeutic trial. Sixty patients received FNB and the other 60 received ACB for postoperative pain control. All ACB and FNB were performed using ultrasound-guided single-shot procedures. The primary outcomes included maximum voluntary isovolumetric contraction and postoperative pain score. Secondary outcomes included total opioid consumption, length of hospital stay, complication, and satisfaction score.

Results: This clinical trial might provide some insights to estimate and compare the safety and efficacy of ACB vs FNB following ACLR.

Trial registration: This study protocol was registered in Research Registry (researchregistry5569).

Figure 1

Flow diagram of the study. ACB = adductor canal block, FNB = femoral nerve block.