Study Summary

Sixty-six patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were randomized to receive continuous femoral nerve block plus popliteal plexus block or continuous femoral nerve block alone. The primary outcome of interest was cumulative 12-hour postoperative morphine-equivalent opioid consumption. Secondary outcomes included opioid consumption at additional postoperative time points, Visual Analog Scale pain scores, knee pain location, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and sensorimotor extension of the block. Outcomes were assessed in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and at 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the addition of a popliteal plexus block significantly reduced 12-hour opioid consumption and decreased early postoperative pain intensity and lateroposterior knee pain. However, these analgesic benefits diminished after 24 hours, and the magnitude of opioid reduction was modest. The findings suggest that popliteal plexus block may be a useful adjunct within a multimodal analgesic strategy for total knee arthroplasty, although its clinical relevance remains uncertain due to the small effect size.