We recently performed a clinical trial comparing motor sparing blocks (MSB) to periarticular infiltration (PAI) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We found that MSBs provided longer analgesia (8.8 hours) than PAI with retention of quadriceps strength, and with similar function, satisfaction, and length of hospital stay. However, its potential increased cost could serve as a barrier to its adoption. Therefore, our aim was to compare the costs of MSBs to PAI following TKA. We conducted a retrospective review of data from our previous RCT. There were 82 patients included in the RCT (n=41 MSB group, n=41 PAI group). We compared the mean total costs associated with each group until hospital discharge including intervention costs, healthcare professional service fees, intraoperative medications, length of stay, and postoperative opioid use. Seventy patients were included (n=35 MSB group, n=35 PAI group). The mean total costs for the MSB group was significantly higher ($1959.46 ± 755.4) compared to the PAI group ($1616.25 ± 488.33), with a mean difference of $343.21 (95% CI = $73.28 to $664.11, p = 0.03). The total perioperative intervention costs for performing the MSB was also significantly higher however postoperative inpatient costs including length of stay and total opioid use did not differ significatnly. Motor sparing blocks had significantly higher mean total and perioperative costs compared to PAI with no significant difference in postoperative inpatient costs. However, its quadricep sparing nature and previously demonstrated prolonged postoperative analgesia can be used to facilitate an outpatient TKA pathway thereby offsetting its increased costs

Purpose

Femoral nerve block (FNB) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has had mixed results with some studies reporting improvement in pain and reduced narcotic exposure while others have not shown substantial differences. The effect of a FNB on rehabilitation indices (quadriceps strength, knee flexion) is also unclear.

The study purpose was to compare the effect of FNB+ a multimodal analgesic protocol (MMA) to MMA only on the 1) development of a complete quadriceps motor block and 2) knee flexion during the first two postoperative days and 3) knee flexion out to 12 weeks after primary TKA. Secondarily, we compared hospital length of stay (LOS), postoperative pain, analgesic use and the incidence of nausea/vomiting.

Introduction. Day stay surgery for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions is an increasingly common practice and has driven clinicians to come up with postoperative pain regimes that allow same day mobilisation and a safe and timely discharge. There is a paucity of literature surrounding the use of intraosseous (IO) ropivacaine used as a Bier's block to provide both intraoperative and postoperative analgesia in lower limb surgery. Methods. This patient blinded, pilot study randomised 15 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction to receive either IO ropivacaine 1.5 or 2.0 mg/kg; or 300 mg of ropivacaine as local infiltration (standard of care). Toxic plasma levels of ropivacaine have been defined in the literature and therefore the primary outcome for this study was arterial plasma concentration of ropivacaine as a means to determine its safety profile. Samples were taken via an arterial line at prespecified times after tourniquet deflation. Secondary outcomes that we were interested in included immediate postoperative pain scores using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and perioperative opioid equivalent consumption. Results. Participants had a mean age of 27.8 (SD 9.2) years and 87% (13/15) were male. All patients in the intervention group receiving IO ropivacaine had plasma concentrations well below the threshold for central nervous system (CNS) toxicity (0.60 µg/ml). The highest plasma concentration was achieved in the intervention group receiving 1.5 mg/kg dose of ropivacaine reaching 3.59 mg/ml. This would equate to 0.22 µg/ml of free plasma ropivacaine. There were no differences across the three groups regarding pain scores or perioperative opioid consumption. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that IO administration of 0.2% ropivacaine is both safe and effective in reducing perioperative pain in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction. There may be scope to increase the IO dose further or utilise other analgesics via the IO regional route to improve perioperative pain relief

Introduction. Pain control following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) heavily influences timing of mobilization and rehabilitation postoperatively as well as length of hospital stay. Recently, periarticular injection of liposomal bupivacaine (EXPAREL®; Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., San Diego, California) has demonstrated pain relief comparable to femoral nerve block for postoperative analgesia in TKA with earlier mobilization and shortened hospital stay. In order to better explore the use of EXPAREL® in TKA, we standardized the postoperative analgesia to intraoperative periarticular injection of multimodal pain management, which is a recommended postoperative method of pain control in TKA. We studied the effectiveness of periarticular EXPAREL® in TKA postoperative pain control, including impact on early mobilization and length of hospital stay, compared to another local analgesic (Ropivacaine) when both are used as part of a multimodal pain management approach. Methods. We performed a double blind, randomized, controlled, prospective, IRB-approved study that enrolled 96 participants who underwent a unilateral TKA by one surgeon between May 2014 and March 2015. The two randomized groups were as follows: group 1 (control group) was given the standard intra-articular “pain cocktail” injection, consisting of ropivacaine, ketorolac, morphine, and epinephrine mixed with saline into a 100cc preparation and group 2 (study group) was given a similar intra-articular injection consisting of bupivacaine, ketorolac, morphine, and epinephrine mixed with saline into an 80cc preparation as well as an injection of EXPAREL®, 20cc of 1.3% EXPAREL®, to total 100cc. All patients included in the study were determined to be opioid naïve as described by the Food and Drug Administration criteria. Patients were treated with the same postoperative pain management protocol as well as the same post-operative physical therapy program. The consumption of oral and intravenous narcotics at specific time points as well as total use was recorded during hospital stay. We recorded Visual Analog Pain scores, hours to ambulate 100 feet and length of hospital stay (hours). Both the investigator and the patient were blinded as to which group the patient was randomized, making this a double blind study. Results. On a per hour basis, the mean use of narcotics of the two groups differed by only 0.1mg. For total narcotic use during hospital stay, the weighted sum used by patients in the EXPAREL® group, 97.7mg of hydrocodone ±42.84 mg, exceeded the weighted sum, 89.6 mg of hydrocodone ± 58.57 mg, used by patients in the control group. The difference between the two groups was not significant. The means for length of stay differed by only 26 minutes and the difference was not significant. Similarly insignificant, the means for the time to ambulate 100 feet differed by 53 minutes, with the EXPAREL® group actually taking the longer time. The two groups did not differ for Visual Analog Score for pain on day 1 or day 2 post-operatively. Conclusion. When comparing the use of EXPAREL® to another multimodal pain management approach using ropivacaine, there is no difference in post-operative opioid consumption, Visual Analong Scores for pain, amount of time to ambulate or length of hospital stay

Ankle fractures are common orthopedic injuries, often requiring operative intervention to restore joint stability, improve alignment, and reduce the risk of post-traumatic ankle arthritis. However, ankle fracture surgeries (AFSs) are associated with significant postoperative pain, typically requiring postoperative opioid analgesics. In addition to putting patients at risk of opioid dependence, the adverse effects of opioids include nausea, vomiting, and altered mental status which may delay recovery. Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) offer notable benefits to the postoperative pain profile when compared to general or spinal anaesthesia alone and may help improve recovery. The primary objective of this quality improvement (QI) study was to increase PNB administration for AFS at our institution to above 50% by January 2021. A root cause analysis was performed by a multidisciplinary team to identify barriers for PNB administration. Four interventions were chosen & implemented: recruitment and training of expert anesthesiologists in regional anesthesia techniques, procurement of additional ultrasound machines, implementation of a dedicated block room with training to create an enhanced learning environment, and the development of an educational pamphlet for patients outlining strategies to manage rebound pain, instructions around the use of oral multimodal analgesia, and the potential for transient motor block of the leg. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients who received PNB for AFS. Secondary outcome measures included total hospitalization length of stay (LOS), post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and 24-hour postoperative opioid consumption (mean oral morphine equivalent [OME]), proportion of patients requiring opioid analgesic in PACU, and proportion of patients experiencing post-operative nausea and/or vomiting (PONV) requiring antiemetic in PACU. Thirty-day post-operative emergency department (ED) visits were collected as a balance measure. The groups receiving PNB and not receiving PNB included 78 & 157 patients, respectively, with no significant differences in age, gender, or ASA class between groups. PNB administration increased from less than 10% to 53% following implementation of the improvement bundle. Mean total hospital LOS did not vary significantly across the PNB and no PNB groups (1.04 days vs. 1.42 days, P = 0.410). Both mean PACU and mean 24-hour postoperative opioid analgesic consumption was significantly lower in the PNB group compared to the no PNB group (OME in PACU 38.96mg vs. 55.42mg [P = 0.001]; 24-hour OME 44.74mg vs. 37.71mg [P = .008]). A greater proportion of patients in the PNB group did not require any PACU opioid analgesics compared to those in the no PNB group (62.8% vs. 27.4%, P < 0.001). The proportion of patients experiencing PONV and requiring antiemetic both in the PACU did not vary significantly across groups. Thirty-day postoperative ED visits did not vary significantly across groups. By performing a root cause analysis and implementing a multidisciplinary, patient-centered QI bundle, we achieved significant increases in PNB administration for AFS. As a result, there were significant improvements in the recovery of patients following AFS, specifically reduced use of postoperative opioid analgesia. This multi-faceted approach provides a framework for an individualized QI approach to increase PNB administration and achieve improved patient outcomes following AFS

Background. Pre-operative and postoperative analgesia in total hip arthroplasty (THA) involves multimodal analgesia using differing classes of drugs and varying introductions of these agents. Postoperative opioid-related events can slow recovery and increase patients' length of stay. Long-acting local anesthetics can reduce early postoperative pain at the surgical site, potentiating a decrease of opioid intervention needed postoperatively. Decreasing opioid use while maintaining adequate pain control could reduce opioid-related events, increase patient time to first ambulation and decrease length of stay. The purpose of this study was to compare liposomal bupivacaine to bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia. Methods. Between November 2012 and February 2013, 57 consecutive patients that underwent THA and hip resurfacing received either an intraoperative injection of liposomal bupivacaine or bupivacaine alone. All patients received a combination of medications prior to the procedure including celecoxib 400 mg by mouth, pregabalin 75 mg by mouth and 1gm of intravenous acetaminophen. The study group received 20 cc of liposomal bupivacaine, combined with 40 cc 0.25% bupivacaine with epinephrine and 20 cc of normal saline. The control group received 60 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine with epinephrine. Data was prospectively collected including average visual analog pain scale (VAS), opioid consumption, time to first ambulation, hospital length of stay measured by days, and post-operative opioid-related adverse drug events. Results. The study group included 27 consecutive patients who received liposomal bupivacaine and the control group included the previous 30 consecutive patients who received bupivacaine alone (Figure 1). Both groups had average VAS scores of 2.8 during the first 24 hours after surgery and 3.3 during the time frame of 24 to 48 hours after surgery (Figure 2). The study group average morphine equivalent use during the first 24 hours after surgery was 31.7 mg, and the control group 53.4 mg (p <0.05) (Figure 3). From 24 to 48 hours from surgery, the average morphine equivalent use in the study group was 46.4 mg, and the control group 64.9 mg, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. The study group median length of stay was 1.9 days; the control group median length of stay was 2.5 days (p = 0.051). The study group had a total of 16 patients able to ambulate > 20 ft on the day of surgery, compared to the control group with four patients (p <0.05). Four times as many patients were able to ambulate the day of surgery in the study group. During hospitalization, the study group had 13 patients who required antiemetic therapy for nausea, and the control group four (p <0.05). Conclusion. Administration of liposomal bupivacaine demonstrated dramatically decreased opioid consumption during the first 24 to 48 hours, while maintaining equivalent pain scores following THA. In addition, length of stay was decreased from 2.5 to 1.9 days with the use of liposomal bupivacaine. Compared to the control group, four times as many patients in the study group were able to ambulate ≥ 20 ft the day of surgery

Forefoot surgery causes postoperative pain which requires strong painkillers. Regional blocks are now increasingly used in order to control postoperative pain especially in the first twenty four hours when the pain is at its worst. We conducted a study to see whether timing of ankle block i.e. before or after application of tourniquet shows any difference in efficacy in postoperative analgesia in first twenty four hours. A prospective study was conducted between September and March 2011 involving 50 patients. Group A had ankle block after and Group B had block before application of tourniquet. Both group had twenty five patients each. Patients were given assessment forms to chart their pain on Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 4hrs and twenty four hours after surgery. Both groups demonstrated good postoperative pain control. Average pain score at four and twenty fours after surgery was 2.5 and 5 in Group A and 3.5 and 6.1 in Group B respectively. Pain control, both at four and twenty four hours surgery was better in Group A but this was not statistically significant. Ankle block should be routinely used in forefoot surgery to control postoperative pain. Ankle block before or after the application of tourniquet had comparable pain relief with no statistical difference

Purpose. Femoral nerve blockade (FNB) can provide prolonged postoperative analgesia and facilitate rehabilitation following major knee surgery while minimizing opioid-related adverse effects. However, anecdotal data have implicated FNB in post-operative falls, presumably due to a block-related reduction in quadriceps strength. Age, gender and knee replacement surgery have also been previously identified as risk factors for falls in the acute postoperative orthopaedic inpatient setting. We hypothesized that the use of FNB would be an independent predictor of an inpatient fall following total knee replacement (TKR). Method. We examined a cohort of 2,197 patients who underwent TKR in a single academic institution between October 2003 and March 2010. The start date was based on the separate initiation of both a comprehensive regional anesthesia database and an orthopaedic ward Falls Surveillance Program. Patients undergoing revision TKR or unicompartmental arthroplasty were excluded. Age, simultaneous bilateral TKR, gender, body mass index (BMI), and various regional nerve blocks were considered predictors of post-operative falls in a logistic regression model. The database allowed resolution of the type (i.e. femoral, sciatic) and duration (i.e. single-bolus, indwelling continuous perineural catheter) of nerve blockade. Hospital-standard dosing and insertion techniques were employed. Results. The total number of falls was 60 (rate 2.7%), 40 of which occurred within 48 hours of surgery. When compared to patients who did not fall, those who fell were significantly older (699 years vs 6611 years; p=0.03), obese [BMI >30kg/m2] (75% vs 59%; p=0.01) and had continuous catheter FNB (97% vs 86%; p=0.02). The odds ratio of having a fall was 1.04 (1.0–1.07; p=0.008) for each one-year increase in age above the mean age of 66 years, 2.4 (1.3–4.5; p=0.005) for a BMI >30kg/m2 and 4.4 (1.04–18.2; p=0.04) for continuous catheter FNB. Gender, simultaneous bilateral TKR, any sciatic nerve block or spinal anesthetic did not predict an increased risk of acute-care post-operative falls. Conclusion. This is the first study to demonstrate an increased risk of post-operative falls in obese patients and with the use of continuous catheter FNB following TKR. Careful consideration of the use of continuous catheter FNB may be warranted in patients with additional risk factors for falls such as advanced age and obesity

Aims

Currently, there is no single, comprehensive national guideline for analgesic strategies for total joint replacement. We compared inpatient and outpatient opioid requirements following total hip arthroplasty (THA) versus total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in order to determine risk factors for increased inpatient and outpatient opioid requirements following total hip or knee arthroplasty.

Aims

The Precice intramedullary limb-lengthening system has demonstrated significant benefits over external fixation lengthening methods, leading to a paradigm shift in limb lengthening. This study compares outcomes following antegrade and retrograde femoral lengthening in both adolescent and adult patients.