Minimal threshold for stimulating catheters.

A patient undergoing total knee replacement was fitted with a stimulating femoral catheter for postoperative analgesia. After the catheter was secured to the skin, the minimal stimulatory threshold was verified again and found to be extremely low (0.00-0.

Effect of a continuous peripheral nerve block on the inflammatory response in knee arthroplasty.

Background And Objectives: Experimental nerve block in animals inhibits the inflammatory response. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a 48-hour local anesthetic block of all afferent and efferent nerve fibers of the knee area has an impact on postoperative inflammatory response.

Methods: Twelve patients scheduled for primary total knee arthroplasty received spinal anesthesia, and then were randomly allocated to either patient-controlled analgesia with morphine (n = 6) or a combination of continuous lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve blocks (continuous peripheral nerve block; CPNB) with ropivacaine 0.

Comparison of analgesic methods for total knee arthroplasty: metabolic effect of exogenous glucose.

Background And Objectives: This study was set up to assess whether postoperative suppression of gluconeogenesis by dextrose infusion would be influenced by continuous peripheral nerve block (CPNB) with local anesthetics, in comparison with epidural and with intravenous analgesia.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients, undergoing elective primary total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis, were randomly allocated to one of the three groups of 9 patients each: patient controlled analgesia (PCA) with i.v.