Adjuncts for Adductor Block: Dexamethasone,Dexmedetomidine, or Combination to Reduce Pain (AADDCToR)

April 21, 2026 updated by: Women's College Hospital

Adjuncts for Adductor Block: Dexamethasone,Dexmedetomidine, or Combination to Reduce Pain. A Randomized Controlled Comparison of the Analgesic Effects Following ACL Repair

The aim of this multi-centered study is to evaluate the effects of two distinct Adductor Canal Block (ACB) adjuncts, dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine, and their combination, on postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Repair.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Anterior cruciate ligament repair (ACLR) is a surgical procedure of the knee associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain lasting beyond 24 hours following surgery. Provision of adequate postoperative analgesia is a prerequisite for performing this procedure on outpatient basis. By virtue of their analgesic effects, peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs), such as adductor canal block (ACB), have thus become part of the care standard for this surgical procedure.

Though ACB provides effective pain relief, the duration of analgesia associated with this block is limited to eight hours postoperatively. As a result, patients having outpatient ACLR may experience severe pain following discharge, require additional opioid analgesics to control their pain, and even visit the emergency department for acute pain management. Consequently, perioperative care for the young outpatient population undergoing this procedure is an area where improvement is needed.

Mixing adjuncts with local anesthetics can prolong the duration of analgesia of PNBs; both dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone have been shown to effectively extend the duration of PNB analgesia by 60% and 80% hours, respectively. The use of dexamethasone is wide spread, and dexmedetomidine is progressively gaining popularity.

At Toronto Western Hospital, the use of adjuncts is left to the discretion of the anesthesiologists administering PNB; and dexamethasone is occasionally used to prolong block duration. The alternative approach to prolonging block duration is using ambulatory ACB catheters, but this is an expensive option that is applicable to select patients, and it is not available at the TWH.

Importantly, these adjuncts seem to exert their effect through independent mechanisms; thus there may be an advantage to combining adjuncts together. Further prolongation of the duration of analgesia is desirable, as the prolongation of block duration associated with each of these two adjuncts, alone, falls short of the duration of worst postoperative pain following ACLR. Consequently, the investigators aimed to explore whether the combination of these two adjuncts offers an incremental benefit over either of them alone, by examining their potential additive or synergistic effect.

This randomized controlled trial compares the effect of using perineural dexamethasone, dexmedetomidine, and their combination to Control on the duration of postoperative analgesia in patients having ambulatory ACLR with ACB.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
3

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1B2
        • Women's College Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • English Speaking
  • ASA 1-3 patients
  • BMI <40

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Refusal or inability to provide informed consent
  • Any contraindication to regional anesthesia including coagulopathy or bleeding diathesis, allergy to local anesthetics, infection, nerve injury or malignancy at the site of the block
  • History of alcohol/drug dependence
  • History of long term opioid intake or chronic pain disorder
  • History of preexisting neuropathy in the operative leg
  • History of significant psychiatric conditions that may affect patient assessment
  • Inability to understand the informed consent and demands of the study
  • Allergy to any of the components of the multimodal analgesic regimen
  • Revision of ACL repair
  • Diabetes
  • Significant bradycardia (baseline heart rate ≤ 40 beats per minute)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Dexamethasone vs. Control comparison
Freezing + dexamethasone(4mg)+1 ml of saline
Drug: Dexamethasone 4mg
To guarantee rapid onset as well as effective postoperative analgesia, a 20 mL volume of local anesthetic has been selected for performing the ACB. The block solution will be a 20 ml volume for all groups, prepared by mixing 18 ml of ropivacaine 0.5% mixed with an additional 2 ml prepared according to the randomization.
Other Names:
  • Preservative free Dexamethasone
Other: Saline
Control/Placebo intervention
Active Comparator: Dexmedetomidine vs. Control comparison
Freezing + dexmedetomidine(50ug) + 1.5 ml of saline
Other: Saline
Control/Placebo intervention
Drug: Dexmedetomidine
To guarantee rapid onset as well as effective postoperative analgesia, a 20 mL volume of local anesthetic has been selected for performing the ACB. The block solution will be a 20 ml volume for all groups, prepared by mixing 18 ml of ropivacaine 0.5% mixed with an additional 2 ml prepared according to the randomization.
Other Names:
  • Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride 0.5 MG/ML
Active Comparator: Dexamethasone and Dexmedetomidine
Freezing+dexamethasone(4mg)+dexmedetomidine(50ug) + 0.5 ml of saline
Drug: Dexamethasone 4mg
To guarantee rapid onset as well as effective postoperative analgesia, a 20 mL volume of local anesthetic has been selected for performing the ACB. The block solution will be a 20 ml volume for all groups, prepared by mixing 18 ml of ropivacaine 0.5% mixed with an additional 2 ml prepared according to the randomization.
Other Names:
  • Preservative free Dexamethasone
Other: Saline
Control/Placebo intervention
Drug: Dexmedetomidine
To guarantee rapid onset as well as effective postoperative analgesia, a 20 mL volume of local anesthetic has been selected for performing the ACB. The block solution will be a 20 ml volume for all groups, prepared by mixing 18 ml of ropivacaine 0.5% mixed with an additional 2 ml prepared according to the randomization.
Other Names:
  • Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride 0.5 MG/ML
Sham Comparator: Control Group-Placebo
Freezing + 2ml saline
Other: Saline
Control/Placebo intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Oral opioid consumption
Time Frame: time of the block to 24 hours after
Cumulative 24 hour oral morphine equivalent consumption
time of the block to 24 hours after

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intra-operative opioid consumption
Time Frame: Duration of surgery: From start of surgery (defined as anesthesia start) to end of surgery (defined as anesthesia end)
Cumulative intra-operative opioid consumption in morphine equivalent
Duration of surgery: From start of surgery (defined as anesthesia start) to end of surgery (defined as anesthesia end)
PACU opioid consumption
Time Frame: From time of arrival (hh:mm) in PACU to time of PACU discharge (hh:mm) assessed up to 24 hours
Cumulative oral morphine equivalent consumption during time stayed in PACU
From time of arrival (hh:mm) in PACU to time of PACU discharge (hh:mm) assessed up to 24 hours
Time to first analgesic request in PACU
Time Frame: From time of arrival in PACU (hh:mm) up to time of PACU discharge (hh:mm) assessed in minutes up to 24 hours ((e.g. patient arrives in PACU 12:00 then patient is given first pain medication in PACU at 12:30; Time to first analgesic request = 30 min)
The time (hh:mm) first pain medication given in PACU
From time of arrival in PACU (hh:mm) up to time of PACU discharge (hh:mm) assessed in minutes up to 24 hours ((e.g. patient arrives in PACU 12:00 then patient is given first pain medication in PACU at 12:30; Time to first analgesic request = 30 min)
Time to PACU discharge
Time Frame: From time of arrival (hh:mm) in PACU to time discharged (hh:mm) from PACU assessed in minutes (e.g. patient arrives in PACU 12:00 then patient discharged from PACU 12:30; Time to PACU discharge = 30 min)
how fast patient recovered and discharged from PACU (measured in minutes)
From time of arrival (hh:mm) in PACU to time discharged (hh:mm) from PACU assessed in minutes (e.g. patient arrives in PACU 12:00 then patient discharged from PACU 12:30; Time to PACU discharge = 30 min)
Visual Analogue Scale-Pain scores - minimum score = 0 and maximum score = 10
Time Frame: discharge from hospital to 2 days after surgery
pain scores at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours postoperatively
discharge from hospital to 2 days after surgery
Opioid consumption
Time Frame: discharge from hospital to 2 days after surgery
analgesic consumption at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours postoperatively
discharge from hospital to 2 days after surgery
Risk of block-related complications
Time Frame: one week post operatively
adverse symptoms related to the block
one week post operatively
Risk of opioid-related side effects
Time Frame: two week post operatively
adverse symptoms related to oral pain medication consumption
two week post operatively
Quality of recovery-15 (QoR15) (0-10, where 0 = none of the time [poor] and 10 = all of the time [excellent]
Time Frame: discharge from hospital to 24 hours after surgery
measured using the Quality of recovery-15 at 12 and 24 hours postoperatively
discharge from hospital to 24 hours after surgery
Time to hospital discharge
Time Frame: From time of end of surgery [(hh:mm) defined as anesthesia end] up to time of hospital discharge (hh:mm) assessed in minutes up to 24 hours (e.g. surgery ends 12:00, then patient discharged from the hospital at 13:00; Time to hospital discharge = 60min
Measures of recovery (how many minutes from end of surgery to discharge from hospital)
From time of end of surgery [(hh:mm) defined as anesthesia end] up to time of hospital discharge (hh:mm) assessed in minutes up to 24 hours (e.g. surgery ends 12:00, then patient discharged from the hospital at 13:00; Time to hospital discharge = 60min
Time to first analgesic request at home (after discharge)
Time Frame: discharge from hospital to 24 hours after surgery
first time(hh:mm) patient took an oral pain medication
discharge from hospital to 24 hours after surgery
Visual Analogue Scale-Satisfaction scores - where 0 = not satisfied and 10 = very satisfied
Time Frame: evaluated at 12 and 24 hours post-surgery
A visual analogue scale used to measure how satisfied the study participant is with the pain relief received for shoulder surgery
evaluated at 12 and 24 hours post-surgery
Presence/absence of nerve block complications
Time Frame: time from block onset to 2 days,2 weeks after surgery
adverse symptoms related to the block
time from block onset to 2 days,2 weeks after surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Women's College Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University Health Network, Toronto

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Richard Brull, MD, Women's College Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 21, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 16, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 16, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 25, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 21, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 23, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 21, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2018-0164-B

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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