Effect of ultrasound-guided selective sensory nerve blockade of the knee on pain management compared with periarticular injection for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

Background: Ultrasound-guided selective sensory nerve blockade (SSNB) of the knee, including an adductor canal block (ACB), anterior femoral cutaneous nerve block, and infiltration between the popliteal artery and posterior capsule of the knee may provide effective motor-sparing knee analgesia for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We hypothesized that the SSNB would manage pain better on ambulation 24 hours postoperatively compared to periarticular infiltration (PAI), when combined with postoperative continuous ACB.

Methods: Seventy-two patients undergoing elective TKA under spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to either SSNB (SSNB group) or intraoperative PAI (PAI group).