Combined Popliteal and Adductor Canal Blocks for Postoperative Analgesia in Children With Cerebral Palsy

August 30, 2026 updated by: Elif Sule Ozdemir, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital

Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Combined Popliteal and Adductor Canal Blocks in Children With Cerebral Palsy Undergoing Lower Extremity Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This prospective, randomized, controlled trial aims to evaluate the postoperative analgesic efficacy of combined ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block and adductor canal block in children with cerebral palsy undergoing elective lower extremity surgery. Children aged 3-18 years with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II-III will be randomized into two groups. Participants in the intervention group will receive combined popliteal sciatic nerve block and adductor canal block in addition to general anesthesia, whereas participants in the control group will receive general anesthesia with intravenous analgesia without peripheral nerve block. Postoperative pain will be assessed using the revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (r-FLACC) scale at 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery by an anesthesiologist blinded to group allocation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

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Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

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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 (Estimated)

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.
50

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

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Study Contact

Study Contact

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Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

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Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pediatric patients aged 3-18 years
  • Diagnosis of cerebral palsy
  • Scheduled to undergo lower extremity surgery
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II-III
  • Scheduled for elective surgery
  • Written informed consent obtained from a parent or legal guardian

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age younger than 3 years or older than 18 years
  • Coagulopathy or any contraindication to peripheral nerve block
  • Known allergy to local anesthetics
  • Infection at the planned block site

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: Treatment
  • 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: Adductor Canal Block + Popliteal Sciatic Nerve Block Group
Participants assigned to this group will undergo general anesthesia followed by ultrasound-guided combined popliteal sciatic nerve block and adductor canal block. Both blocks will be performed after induction of general anesthesia using 0.25% bupivacaine, with a total local anesthetic volume of 0.5 mL/kg (maximum volume 20 mL). Before the end of surgery, all participants will receive intravenous acetaminophen (paracetamol) at a dose of 15 mg/kg. Postoperative pain will be assessed using the revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (r- FLACC) scale at 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery. If the r- FLACC score is greater than 3, intravenous morphine 25 µg/kg will be administered in the post-anesthesia care unit, or oral ibuprofen 10 mg/kg will be administered in the inpatient ward.
Procedure: Adductor Canal Block + Popliteal Sciatic Nerve Block Group
Following induction of general anesthesia, participants assigned to the intervention group will receive ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block and adductor canal block. Both blocks will be performed using 0.25% bupivacaine, with a total local anesthetic volume of 0.5 mL/kg for the combined blocks (maximum volume 20 ml).
Active Comparator: Control Group
Participants assigned to this group will undergo general anesthesia without peripheral nerve block. Intravenous paracetamol at a dose of 15 mg/kg will be administered intraoperatively as part of the standard analgesic protocol. If the postoperative r- FLACC score is greater than 3, intravenous morphine 25 µg/kg will be administered in the post-anesthesia care unit, or oral ibuprofen 10 mg/kg will be administered in the inpatient ward.
Procedure: Control Group
Participants assigned to the control group will receive intravenous paracetamol at a dose of 15 mg/kg intraoperatively as part of the standard analgesic protocol. No peripheral nerve block will be performed in this group.

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
Postoperative pain intensity assessed using the revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (r-FLACC) scale
Time Frame: At 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery
Postoperative pain intensity will be assessed using the revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (r-FLACC) observational pain scale. The r-FLACC score ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity. r-FLACC scores will be recorded at 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery and compared between the two study groups.
At 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery

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
Total rescue analgesic consumption during the first 24 postoperative hours
Time Frame: During the first 24 hours after surgery
The cumulative dose and number of doses of each rescue analgesic administered during the first 24 hours after surgery will be recorded separately. When the r-FLACC score is ≥4, intravenous morphine 25 µg/kg will be administered in the post-anesthesia care unit, whereas oral ibuprofen 10 mg/kg will be administered in the inpatient ward.
During the first 24 hours after surgery
Intraoperative remifentanyl consumption
Time Frame: During the surgery
The cumulative dose of remifentanyl administered during the intraoperative period.
During the 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.
Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research 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 (Estimated)

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.
September 14, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
September 14, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
September 27, 2027

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).
August 30, 2026

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 30, 2026

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.
September 3, 2026

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.
September 3, 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.
August 30, 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.
August 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.
  • AEŞH-EK-2026-065

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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