Addition of buprenorphine to local anesthetic in adductor canal blocks after total knee arthroplasty improves postoperative pain relief: a randomized controlled trial

100 patients scheduled for total knee arthroplasty with an adductor canal block were randomized to have the block performed with bupivacaine plus buprenorphine, or bupivacaine alone. The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of buprenorphine resulted in significantly lower opioid analgesia consumption over the first 24 hours postoperatively. Results demonstrated that the group that received adductor canal block with bupivacaine+buprenorphine demonstrated significantly lower mean opioid analgesia consumption (hydrocodone equivalents) than the group who received adductor canal block with just bupivacaine.