Analgesia for total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis comparing local infiltration and femoral nerve block

6 studies comparing the efficacy of local infiltration analgesia to femoral nerve block in the treatment of postoperative pain following total knee arthroplasty were included in this meta-analysis. Pain at rest, pain with activity and opioid consumption after 24 hours were compared between study groups in an attempt to identify whether one method was advantageous over the other. Results indicated that both treatments were effective strategies for treating postoperative pain, however, femoral nerve block resulted in lower pain scores for pain with activity. No significant differences in opioid consumption or pain at rest were observed between the groups.