Estimation of the minimum effective volume of 0.5% bupivacaine for ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block in diabetic patients with neuropathy.

Background And Aims: The safety of conventional regional nerve block techniques in patients with established neuropathies, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), is still unclear. We designed this prospective dose finding study to identify the minimum effective local anaesthetic volume of 0.5% bupivacaine for ultrasound-guided subparaneural popliteal sciatic nerve block in 90% of DPN patients undergoing below-knee surgery (MELAV90).