2016 AAOS Annual Meeting: Femoral Nerve Block is Not Superior to Periarticular Injection for Primary Total Knee Analgesia

72 patients (under 70 years of age) undergoing total knee arthroplasty were randomized to receive either periarticular injection (PI) or continuous femoral nerve block combined with posterior capsular injection (CFNB+PCI). The purpose of this study was to compare these methods of postoperative analgesia based on perioperative surgical outcomes and postoperative clinical outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction at 1 year. The results displayed a minor reduction in pain at postoperative day 2 and lower opioid use in the PI group. However, groups were comparable in terms of length of stay, knee range of motion, and quadriceps strength following surgery, as well as in patient satisfaction during hospital stay and at 1 year. At 1 year postoperatively, degree of flexion was significantly greater in the CFNB+PCI group.