Will the addition of a sciatic nerve block to a femoral nerve block provide better pain control following anterior cruciate ligament repair surgery?

Two common forms of postoperative analgesia used in patients following an anterior cruciate ligament repair (ACLR) are the femoral nerve block (FNB) and the combined femoral-sciatic nerve block (FSB). The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of the sciatic nerve block to the FNB is truly beneficial in ACLR patients requesting regional anesthesia for postoperative pain control. All subjects scheduled for an ACLR, requesting general anesthesia and preoperative placement of a peripheral nerve block (PNB), were randomized to receive an FNB or an FSB. Analgesic requirements, pain scores, and overall postoperative analgesic satisfaction were the primary outcomes measured. The data for 56 subjects (FNB, 27; FSB, 29) were used in analysis. Significantly higher analgesic requirements, pain scores, and lower satisfaction scores were noted in the FNB group compared with the FSB group (P < .05). No other differences were noted between groups in demographic data. Based on this investigation, we concluded that the FSB, compared with FNB alone, provides superior postoperative analgesia in patients receiving an ACLR and should be included in the anesthetic care plan in which a PNB is planned to facilitate postoperative analgesia.