2025 AAOS Annual Meeting: A Three-Arm, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Adductor Canal Pain Catheters following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Sixty opioid-naïve patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were randomized to receive a single-shot adductor canal block with placebo catheter (n=20), a continuous infusion catheter (n=20), or an intermittent bolus catheter (n=20). The primary outcome of interest was postoperative pain level. Secondary outcomes included duration of opioid use, oral morphine equivalents, length of stay, use of on-demand medication, and KOOS Jr. scores. Outcomes were assessed over 60 days postoperatively. Overall, the results of the study revealed no statistically significant differences between the three groups for any outcome, including pain scores, opioid use, or functional outcomes. These findings suggest that the use of adductor canal catheters, whether continuous or bolus, may not provide added benefit over a single-shot block in this population.