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CompletedNCT01999647Updated Dec 4, 2013

Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Local Anesthetic Injection Into or Around the Sciatic Nerve for Lower Limb Anesthesia

An interventional study of Intraneural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block and Perineural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block in Orthopedic Disorders, Foot Diseases and Injuries, Leg, sponsored by University of Parma. Completed at 1 site in Italy. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2013-12-04.

Sponsored by University of Parma · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
64
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

This study was designed to assess whether the injection of local anesthetic into the nerve (intraneural), as opposed to around it (perineural), requires a shorter time to develop surgical anesthesia of the lower leg.

The investigators will compare the two types of injection using the same drug, so as to determine if there is an actual difference onset time. They will also examine the overall success rate of either kind of sciatic nerve blocks as the sole anesthetic for non-emergent orthopedic surgery.

The safety of these procedures will be examined by in-hospital and phone-call follow-up contacts.

Read the detailed description

This will be a randomized, controlled, patient- and observer-blinded trial assessing block characteristics after intra- or perineural injection of ropivacaine for subgluteal sciatic nerve blocks performed for elective surgery of the lower limb.

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Conditions studied

  • Orthopedic Disorders
  • Foot Diseases
  • Injuries, Leg
  • Injuries, Foot
  • Injuries, Knee

Keywords

  • Lower Extremity
  • Sciatic Nerve
  • Anesthetics, Local
  • Ropivacaine
  • Ultrasonography
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In context

Musculoskeletal Diseases

657 studies on the registry are indexed under Musculoskeletal Diseases; 159 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 64 is below the median of 73 across 438 interventional studies indexed under Musculoskeletal Diseases.

Browse Musculoskeletal Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Parma is the lead sponsor of 76 studies on the registry; 8 are open to participants now.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Undergoing non-emergent orthopedic procedure of knee, leg, foot with thigh tourniquet
  • ASA Physical Status Class I-III
  • Consenting to surgery under peripheral nerve block anesthesia (sciatic + femoral/saphenous block)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to understand or communicate for the purpose of the study
  • Exhibiting any neurological disturbance of the ipsilateral lower extremity
  • Inability to satisfactorily image the sciatic nerve in the opinion of the attending anesthesiologist
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
64 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Perineural

    Patients in this group will receive a perineural injection for subgluteal sciatic nerve block under real-time, short-axis, in-plane ultrasound guidance, in addition to a femoral nerve block and patient-controlled postoperative analgesia. Ropivacaine will be used for the sciatic nerve block, whereas the choice of agent for the femoral nerve block is left to the attending anesthesiologist.

    Procedure: Perineural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block · Procedure: Femoral Nerve Block · Procedure: Patient-Controlled Postoperative Analgesia · Drug: Ropivacaine

  • Experimental
    Intraneural

    Patients in this group will receive an intraneural injection for subgluteal sciatic nerve block under real-time, short-axis, in-plane ultrasound guidance, in addition to a femoral nerve block and patient-controlled postoperative analgesia. Ropivacaine will be used for the sciatic nerve block, whereas the choice of agent for the femoral nerve block is left to the attending anesthesiologist.

    Procedure: Intraneural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block · Procedure: Femoral Nerve Block · Procedure: Patient-Controlled Postoperative Analgesia · Drug: Ropivacaine

Interventions

  • ProcedureIntraneural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block

    The injection will start as the needle penetrates the outermost discernible layer of the nerve (epineurium) under ultrasound guidance. The injection will be adjudicated as "intraneural" if nerve cross section expansion and a reduction in echogenicity are observed. Short-axis real-time ultrasound imaging will be used, with an in-plane needle approach.

    Also known as: Injection beneath the common investing extraneural layer, Subepineural Injection, Gluteal sciatic nerve block, Subparaneural injection

  • ProcedurePerineural Injection for Subgluteal Sciatic Nerve Block

    The injection will start as the needle indents the outermost discernible layer of the nerve (epineurium) under ultrasound guidance. The injection will be adjudicated as "intraneural" if the drug infiltrates the space between the epimysium of the surrounding muscles and the outer epineurium of the sciatic nerve. Short-axis real-time ultrasound imaging will be used, with an in-plane needle approach.

    Also known as: Injection outside the common investing extraneural layer, Epineural injection, Extraneural injection, Injection outside the paraneurium

  • ProcedureFemoral Nerve Block

    Patients will receive an ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block using a short- or long-acting local anesthetic, as deemed indicated.

  • ProcedurePatient-Controlled Postoperative Analgesia

    Patients will receive a patient-controlled intravenous or perineural catheter-based analgesia, depending on their preference and the anesthesiologist's indication.

    Also known as: PCA, PCIVA, PCCPNB, Patient-controlled continuous peripheral nerve block

  • DrugRopivacaine

    Thirty milliliters of 0.75% (wt/vol) ropivacaine will be used for the sciatic nerve block.

    Also known as: Local Anesthetic, Naropin, Naropine

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Onset Time of Sciatic Nerve Block

    Time to onset of sciatic nerve anesthesia, defined as both following criteria: * Sensory: does not feel pain or discomfort when pricked with a 25G needle. * Motor: able to slightly curl toes; unable to flex the ankle.

    Time frame: ≤30 minutes after block performance

Secondary outcomes

  1. Success Rate of Sciatic Nerve Blocks

    The percentage of patients who attain the criteria for block success within 30 minutes of the injection. Investigators will also report the percentage of patients who successfully complete surgery without significant additional analgesia (see below); this will be defined as "clinical success rate."

    Time frame: ≤30 min after block performance

  2. Incidence and Prevalence of Neurologic Disturbances

    Patients will be interviewed at \~4 h (block resolution visit), 7 days and (if necessary) at 30 days to assess for residual neurologic disturbances in the sciatic nerve territory. The incidence/prevalence of these phenomena will be noted.

    Time frame: 30 days after anesthesia performance

  3. Differences in Time to Resolution of Sciatic Nerve Block

    The time at which sensory and motor function of the sciatic nerve have recovered at least to the following criteria: * Sensory: patients feel discomfort when pricked with a thin needle (25G) * Motor: patients may move both toes and ankle, albeit with reduced strength This outcome measure will be examined by an investigator every 30-60 min and reported by patients as "time to return of sensation and movement". The investigator-reported value will be preferred if both are available.

    Time frame: <12 h

Other outcomes

  1. Extra- vs. Intraneural Minimum Electrical Stimulation Thresholds

    The minimum electrical nerve stimulation threshold will be recorded as a function of needle tip position.

    Time frame: During performance of nerve block (<30 min)

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Study locations

1 site
  • Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine - University of Parma
    Parma, PR 43126, Italy
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References and documents

Publications

  • Tran DQ, Dugani S, Pham K, Al-Shaafi A, Finlayson RJ. A randomized comparison between subepineural and conventional ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2011 Nov-Dec;36(6):548-52. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0b013e318235f566. PubMed 22005661 ↗
  • Andersen HL, Andersen SL, Tranum-Jensen J. Injection inside the paraneural sheath of the sciatic nerve: direct comparison among ultrasound imaging, macroscopic anatomy, and histologic analysis. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2012 Jul-Aug;37(4):410-4. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0b013e31825145f3. PubMed 22609646 ↗
  • Robards C, Hadzic A, Somasundaram L, Iwata T, Gadsden J, Xu D, Sala-Blanch X. Intraneural injection with low-current stimulation during popliteal sciatic nerve block. Anesth Analg. 2009 Aug;109(2):673-7. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e3181aa2d73. PubMed 19608846 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 4, 2013, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01999647
Lead sponsor
University of Parma
Responsible party
Marco Baciarello (Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, University of Parma) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 3, 2013
Start date
Dec 2011
Primary completion
Sep 2012
Completion
Dec 2012
Last update
Dec 4, 2013

Study contacts

Marco Baciarello, MD
principal investigator · University of Parma

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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