Foot & ankle international
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Continuous infusion versus single bolus popliteal block following major ankle and hindfoot surgery: a prospective, randomized trial.
Popliteal sciatic nerve blockade is a commonly used technique employed in the management of postoperative pain following foot and ankle surgery. Recent studies have shown that for outpatient surgery, for moderately painful procedures, a continuous infusion of local anesthesia via an in-dwelling catheter for 48 to 72 hours leads to reduced opiate analgesic requirements and improved pain and patient satisfaction scores. ⋯ Despite the statistically significant findings, with such low pain scores in both groups, we believe it remains debatable whether the extra time and cost involved warrants the use of a continuous popliteal blockade over a single bolus injection.