Scholarlink

Background <p>Postoperative pain is common following knee surgeries. Effective pain management is crucial for speeding up recovery, improving satisfaction for patients, and reducing the risk of complications. This research aimed to assess analgesic effectiveness and functional outcomes of blocking the nerve to the vastus lateralis (NVL) muscle versus the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN).</p> Methods <p>This randomized, double-blind study was carried out on 80 patients aged ≥ 18 years, both sexes, who underwent knee surgeries under spinal anesthesia using 15&#xa0;mg of bupivacaine 0.5%. Patients were allocated to two equal groups: Group VL was given the NVL block, and Group LFCN received the LFCN block. Blocks were performed at the surgical ending under ultrasound guidance with 5&#xa0;ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. The primary outcome was the numerical rating score.</p> Results <p>Time of onset of sensory block and time required to achieve the maximum sensory block, pain scores at 4, 6, and 12&#xa0;h postoperatively, and total morphine consumption were significantly lower, while time to the first request for rescue analgesia was significantly postponed in Group NVL compared to Group LFCN (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001). Patient satisfaction, side effects, and hospital stay lengths were similar between both groups, with no cases of respiratory depression or local anesthetic toxicity.</p> Conclusions <p>The NVL block may serve as a potential alternative to the LFCN block for postoperative analgesia in knee surgeries, as both techniques provided comparable postoperative pain control and were safe and well tolerated, while the faster sensory onset and reduced opioid consumption associated with the NVL block did not translate into a meaningful improvement in pain control.</p> Clinical trials registration: <p>Registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT06809842, Date of registration: 30/01/2025, URL: <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06809842?cond=NCT06809842%26rank=1">https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06809842?cond=NCT06809842&amp;rank=1</a>).</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Analgesic efficacy of blocking nerve to vastus lateralis muscle versus lateral femoral cutaneous nerve after knee surgeries: a randomized trial

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月7日

查看全文
  • Sherif Kamal Arafa,
  • Wafaa Madhy Abdelwahed,
  • Ahmed Shama,
  • Ahmed Mhamed Elattar,
  • Mahmoud Mohammed Mustafa

摘要

Background

Postoperative pain is common following knee surgeries. Effective pain management is crucial for speeding up recovery, improving satisfaction for patients, and reducing the risk of complications. This research aimed to assess analgesic effectiveness and functional outcomes of blocking the nerve to the vastus lateralis (NVL) muscle versus the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN).

Methods

This randomized, double-blind study was carried out on 80 patients aged ≥ 18 years, both sexes, who underwent knee surgeries under spinal anesthesia using 15 mg of bupivacaine 0.5%. Patients were allocated to two equal groups: Group VL was given the NVL block, and Group LFCN received the LFCN block. Blocks were performed at the surgical ending under ultrasound guidance with 5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. The primary outcome was the numerical rating score.

Results

Time of onset of sensory block and time required to achieve the maximum sensory block, pain scores at 4, 6, and 12 h postoperatively, and total morphine consumption were significantly lower, while time to the first request for rescue analgesia was significantly postponed in Group NVL compared to Group LFCN (P < 0.001). Patient satisfaction, side effects, and hospital stay lengths were similar between both groups, with no cases of respiratory depression or local anesthetic toxicity.

Conclusions

The NVL block may serve as a potential alternative to the LFCN block for postoperative analgesia in knee surgeries, as both techniques provided comparable postoperative pain control and were safe and well tolerated, while the faster sensory onset and reduced opioid consumption associated with the NVL block did not translate into a meaningful improvement in pain control.

Clinical trials registration:

Registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT06809842, Date of registration: 30/01/2025, URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06809842?cond=NCT06809842&rank=1).