CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01333943Updated May 11, 2022Results posted

Saphenous Nerve Block Versus Femoral Nerve Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty

An interventional study of Study Group: Experimental and Control Group in Total Knee Arthroplasty, sponsored by Hospital for Special Surgery, New York. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 90 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-05-11.

Sponsored by Hospital for Special Surgery, New York · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
94
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 90 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Currently, the regional anesthetic standard of care for total knee replacement surgery is combined spinal/epidural, with or without a femoral nerve block, or FNB. Lasting approximately 18 hours, the FNB works by numbing the femoral nerve (and its branches), which is the major nerve controlling the knee joint. The femoral nerve also provides movement and sensation. While this regional anesthetic technique offers significant postoperative pain relief, it is possible that it may cause muscle weakness and increase patients' recovery time. Hence there is a need for an alternative technique, one that may help minimize postoperative pain as effectively as the FNB, while not causing weakness of the quadriceps muscle.

The saphenous nerve, a branch of the femoral nerve, provides sensation to the knee. Thus it is hypothesized that by "blocking" or anesthetizing the saphenous nerve with local anesthetic closer to where it branches off, the area around and below the knee will feel numb. Yet unlike with the FNB, the quadriceps muscle itself will still be able to function.

Patients will be randomized to receive FNB or saphenous nerve block. Quadriceps strength will be tested using a dynamometer before surgery (baseline), 6-8 hours following anesthesia administration, and on postoperative days 1 and 2. It is hypothesized that patients who receive FNB will experience a 50% decrease in quadriceps strength compared to baseline.

02

Conditions studied

  • Total Knee Arthroplasty

Keywords

  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Regional Anesthesia
  • Quadriceps
  • Muscle Strength
  • Muscle Strength Dynamometer
  • Quadriceps muscle strength after regional anesthesia for TKA
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Hospital for Special Surgery, New York is the lead sponsor of 217 studies on the registry; 39 are open to participants now.

Of its 27 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 20 (74%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 90 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • All patients ages 18-90 undergoing primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty
  • Planned use of neuraxial anesthesia
  • Ability to follow study protocol
  • American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) Class 1-3

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Contraindication to a spinal or epidural anesthetic
  • Chronic opioid use (defined as daily or almost daily use of opioids for >3 months)
  • Hypersensitivity and/or allergy to local anesthetics
  • Intraoperative use of any volatile anesthetic
  • Patients with a pre-existing neuropathy on the operative limb
  • Contraindication to a femoral nerve block or saphenous nerve block
  • Allergy to any of the study medications
  • Non-English speaking patients
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
94 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Experimental

    Saphenous (Adductor Canal) Nerve Block

    Procedure: Study Group: Experimental

  • Active comparator
    Control

    Femoral Nerve Block

    Procedure: Control Group

Interventions

  • ProcedureStudy Group: Experimental

    The study group will receive the saphenous nerve block, at the level of the adductor canal. The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 15 ml of 0.5% bupivicaine. The study group will also receive a combined spinal epidural, with 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Additional drugs include anti-emetics, specifically Ondansetron (4 mg).

    Also known as: Saphenous (Adductor Canal) Nerve Block

  • ProcedureControl Group

    The control group will receive the femoral nerve block. The block will be under ultrasound guidance. The local anesthetic will be 30 ml of 0.25% bupivicaine. The control group will also receive a combined spinal epidural, with 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine as the spinal agent. Additional drugs include anti-emetics, specifically Ondansetron (4 mg).

    Also known as: Femoral Nerve Block

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Quadriceps Muscle Strength

    Measurements were made by a handheld dynamometer while patients perform isometric exercises. Results are presented in kilogram-force (kgF) units. One kgF is equal to 9.80665 N.

    Time frame: 48 hours following administration of anesthesia.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Total Opioid Usage

    Opioid consumption data were collected and converted to oral morphine equivalents.

    Time frame: Postoperative day 4.

  2. NRS Pain Scores at Rest

    Patients rated pain on a scale of 0-10, with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing worst pain.

    Time frame: Postoperative day 4.

  3. Patient Satisfaction With the Nerve Block.

    Patient satisfaction was measured on a 0-10 scale (0=not satisfied; 10=very satisfied).

    Time frame: 24 hours following administration of anesthesia.

  4. Incidence of Postoperative Complications.

    Time frame: Postoperative day 4.

  5. Total Length of Hospital Stay

    Time frame: Total length of hospital stay

07

Results

Posted Dec 18, 2017
Limitations and caveats
The duration of analgesia from the ACB block is unclear and was not measured. Also, a large follow-up study is needed to investigate whether ACB improves rehabilitation, incidence of falls, and/or length of hospital stay.

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneExperimentalControl
Started4747
Completed4647
Not completed10
Withdrew: Known neuropathy10

Outcome measures

PrimaryQuadriceps Muscle Strength

Measurements were made by a handheld dynamometer while patients perform isometric exercises. Results are presented in kilogram-force (kgF) units. One kgF is equal to 9.80665 N.

Time frame:
48 hours following administration of anesthesia.
Reported as:
Mean · kilogram-force
Quadriceps Muscle Strength
kilogram-forceExperimentalControl
Quadriceps Muscle Strength7.3 ± 5.42.2 ± 3.8
SecondaryTotal Opioid Usage

Opioid consumption data were collected and converted to oral morphine equivalents.

Time frame:
Postoperative day 4.
Reported as:
Mean · mg
Total Opioid Usage
mgExperimentalControl
Total Opioid Usage36.6 ± 17.935.8 ± 20.7
SecondaryNRS Pain Scores at Rest

Patients rated pain on a scale of 0-10, with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing worst pain.

Time frame:
Postoperative day 4.
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
NRS Pain Scores at Rest
units on a scaleExperimentalControl
NRS Pain Scores at Rest1.7 ± 1.90.9 ± 1.8
SecondaryPatient Satisfaction With the Nerve Block.

Patient satisfaction was measured on a 0-10 scale (0=not satisfied; 10=very satisfied).

Time frame:
24 hours following administration of anesthesia.
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Patient Satisfaction With the Nerve Block.
units on a scaleExperimentalControl
Patient Satisfaction With the Nerve Block.8.8 ± 1.99.1 ± 1.7
SecondaryIncidence of Postoperative Complications.
Time frame:
Postoperative day 4.
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Incidence of Postoperative Complications.
ParticipantsExperimentalControl
Incidence of Postoperative Complications.00
SecondaryTotal Length of Hospital Stay
Time frame:
Total length of hospital stay
Reported as:
Mean · days
Total Length of Hospital Stay
daysExperimentalControl
Total Length of Hospital Stay3.7 ± 0.83.6 ± 0.8

Adverse events

Collected over 4 days after surgery. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Experimental0/47 (0%)0/47 (0%)0/47 (0%)
Control0/47 (0%)0/47 (0%)0/47 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)ExperimentalControlTotal
Mean68.0 ± 9.467.6 ± 11.367.8 ± 10.4
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)ExperimentalControlTotal
Female242953
Male221840
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)ExperimentalControlTotal
United States464793
08

Study locations

1 site
  • Hospital for Special Surgery
    New York, New York 10021, United States
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Maffiuletti NA. Assessment of hip and knee muscle function in orthopaedic practice and research. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2010 Jan;92(1):220-9. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.I.00305. PubMed 20048117 ↗
  • Bohannon RW. Measuring knee extensor muscle strength. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2001 Jan;80(1):13-8. doi: 10.1097/00002060-200101000-00004. PubMed 11138949 ↗
  • Capdevila X, Barthelet Y, Biboulet P, Ryckwaert Y, Rubenovitch J, d'Athis F. Effects of perioperative analgesic technique on the surgical outcome and duration of rehabilitation after major knee surgery. Anesthesiology. 1999 Jul;91(1):8-15. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199907000-00006. PubMed 10422923 ↗
  • Singelyn FJ, Deyaert M, Joris D, Pendeville E, Gouverneur JM. Effects of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with morphine, continuous epidural analgesia, and continuous three-in-one block on postoperative pain and knee rehabilitation after unilateral total knee arthroplasty. Anesth Analg. 1998 Jul;87(1):88-92. doi: 10.1097/00000539-199807000-00019. PubMed 9661552 ↗
  • Kandasami M, Kinninmonth AW, Sarungi M, Baines J, Scott NB. Femoral nerve block for total knee replacement - a word of caution. Knee. 2009 Mar;16(2):98-100. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2008.10.007. Epub 2008 Nov 28. PubMed 19046884 ↗
  • Horn JL, Pitsch T, Salinas F, Benninger B. Anatomic basis to the ultrasound-guided approach for saphenous nerve blockade. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2009 Sep-Oct;34(5):486-9. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0b013e3181ae11af. PubMed 19920424 ↗
  • Akkaya T, Ersan O, Ozkan D, Sahiner Y, Akin M, Gumus H, Ates Y. Saphenous nerve block is an effective regional technique for post-menisectomy pain. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2008 Sep;16(9):855-8. doi: 10.1007/s00167-008-0572-4. Epub 2008 Jun 24. PubMed 18574578 ↗
10

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 11, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01333943
Lead sponsor
Hospital for Special Surgery, New York
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 12, 2011
Start date
Mar 2011
Primary completion
Nov 2011
Completion
Nov 2011
Results posted
Dec 18, 2017
Last update
May 11, 2022

Study contacts

David H. Kim, MD
principal investigator · Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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