Ultrasound-Guided Adductor Canal Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty Surgery

December 15, 2025 updated by: Mursel Ekinci, Bursa City Hospital

The Efficacy of Different Volumes for Ultrasound-Guided Adductor Canal Block for Postoperative Analgesia Management After Total Knee Arthroplasty Surgery

The ultrasound-guided selective blockade of the saphenous nerve in the adductor canal provides effective analgesia and reduces postoperative pain in patients undergoing arthroscopic medial meniscectomy. Selective blockade of the saphenous nerve in the adductor canal provides effective analgesia without quadriceps muscle weakness. It has been shown that the adductor canal block (ACB) block increases the spread of local anesthetics in a distal and proximal way. Therefore, the proximal spread of local anesthetics may cause possible quadriceps weakness. The distal spread of local anesthetics may increase analgesic effect via sciatic nerve. The different volumes for ACB is a topic of discussion. The aim of this study is to compare the different volumes of US-guided ACB performing for postoperative analgesia management after total knee arthroplasty surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Knee arthroplasty is one of the most common orthopedic procedures. Patients may complain severe pain due to the surgical trauma and the prosthesis. Opioid agents are commonly used for analgesia management. However, opioids have adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, sedation and respiratory depression. Peripheral nerve blocks such as femoral block, adductor canal block (ACB) may be performed to reduce opioid consumption and opioid-related side effects.

Selective blockade of the saphenous nerve in the adductor canal for knee surgery provides effective analgesia without quadriceps muscle weakness. This is an important advantage of ACB since it there is no motor blockade in the postoperative period. Blocking of the motor branches leads to delaying of the mobilization and it increases the patient's falling risk. ACB, targets the saphenous nerve and the vastus medialis branch which are the two largest sensorial nerves of the femoral nerve that innervates the knee. ACB blocks the articular branches of the obturator nerve at the same time. Since the ACB is performed at the distal site of thigh it does not target majority of the efferent branches of the quadriceps muscle, therefore the strength of this muscle may not be affected. ACB is usually performed with a volume of 10-30 ml and studies may be needed including different volumes to understand its effectiveness.

The aim of this study is to compare the different volumes (20 ml, 30 ml, and 40 ml) of US-guided ACB for postoperative analgesia management after total knee arthroplasty. The primary aim is to compare postoperative opioid consumption and the secondary aim is to evaluate postoperative pain scores (VAS), motor blockage, the first mobilization time, and adverse effects related with opioids (allergic reaction, nausea, vomiting).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

90

Phase

  • 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 Locations

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification I-II-III
  • Scheduled for total knee arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia

Exclusion Criteria:

  • history of bleeding diathesis
  • receiving anticoagulant treatment,
  • known local anesthetics and opioid allergy,
  • infection of the skin at the site of the needle puncture,
  • pregnancy or lactation,
  • patients who do not accept the procedur

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
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: 20 ml volume adductor canal block
ACB will be performed at the end of the surgery. Patients will be administered tenoxicam (Tilcotil 20 mg flakon) 20 mg IV every 12 hours in the postoperative period. A patient controlled device prepared with 5 mg/ ml tramadol (100 mg-Contramal ® ampul) will be attached to all patients with a protocol included 10 mg bolus without infusion dose, 20 min lockout time and 4 hour limit. If the VAS score will be ≥ 4, 0,5 mg/kg-1 meperidine (Aldolan ampul 100 mg/2 ml) IV will be administered.
Drug: 20 ml volume adductor canal block
ACB will be performed at the end of the surgery. After identifying the adductor canal, by using the in-plane technique, the probe will be placed at the mid-thigh, half the distance between the inguinal crease and the patella, for block location. The superficial femoral artery will be visualized dorsal to the sartorius muscle. Then, the probe will be removed to distally. At this level, the hyperechoic view of the saphenous nerve will be visualized lateral and anterior to the artery in the subsartorial region. 5 mL of saline will be injected to confirm the proper injection site, and then a dose of 0.25% bupivacaine (Buvasin %5 flakon) 20ml will be injected here.
Active Comparator: 30 ml volume adductor canal block
ACB will be performed at the end of the surgery. Patients will be administered tenoxicam (Tilcotil 20 mg flakon) 20 mg IV every 12 hours in the postoperative period. A patient controlled device prepared with 5 mg/ ml tramadol (100 mg-Contramal ® ampul) will be attached to all patients with a protocol included 10 mg bolus without infusion dose, 20 min lockout time and 4 hour limit. If the VAS score will be ≥ 4, 0,5 mg/kg-1 meperidine (Aldolan ampul 100 mg/2 ml) IV will be administered.
Drug: 30 ml volume adductor canal block
ACB will be performed at the end of the surgery. After identifying the adductor canal, by using the in-plane technique, the probe will be placed at the mid-thigh, half the distance between the inguinal crease and the patella, for block location. The superficial femoral artery will be visualized dorsal to the sartorius muscle. Then, the probe will be removed to distally. At this level, the hyperechoic view of the saphenous nerve will be visualized lateral and anterior to the artery in the subsartorial region. 5 mL of saline will be injected to confirm the proper injection site, and then a dose of 0.25% bupivacaine(Buvasin %5 flakon) 30ml will be injected here.
Active Comparator: 40 ml volume adductor canal block
ACB will be performed at the end of the surgery. Patients will be administered tenoxicam (Tilcotil 20 mg flakon) 20 mg IV every 12 hours in the postoperative period. A patient controlled device prepared with 5 mg/ ml tramadol (100 mg-Contramal ® ampul) will be attached to all patients with a protocol included 10 mg bolus without infusion dose, 20 min lockout time and 4 hour limit. If the VAS score will be ≥ 4, 0,5 mg/kg-1 meperidine (Aldolan ampul 100 mg/2 ml) IV will be administered.
Drug: 40 ml volume adductor canal block
ACB will be performed at the end of the surgery. After identifying the adductor canal, by using the in-plane technique, the probe will be placed at the mid-thigh, half the distance between the inguinal crease and the patella, for block location. The superficial femoral artery will be visualized dorsal to the sartorius muscle. Then, the probe will be removed to distally. At this level, the hyperechoic view of the saphenous nerve will be visualized lateral and anterior to the artery in the subsartorial region. 5 mL of saline will be injected to confirm the proper injection site, and then a dose of 0.25% bupivacaine(Buvasin %5 flakon) 40ml will be injected here.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Opioid consumption
Time Frame: Opioid consumption will be recorded at the first 48 hours period postoperatively

The primary aim is to compare perioperative and postoperative opioid consumption.

Opioid consumption will be recorded at the first 48 hours period postoperatively.

(postoperative 0-8, 8-16, 16-24, 24-48 hours)
Opioid consumption will be recorded at the first 48 hours period postoperatively

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative pain scores (Numerical rating scale) (0-meaning "no pain" to 10-meaning "worst pain imaginable")
Time Frame: Patients will be evaluated at the first 48 hours period postoperatively
Postoperative 48 hours period. Patients' pain scores will be questioned at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 hours.
Patients will be evaluated at the first 48 hours period postoperatively

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Bursa City Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

December 20, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 20, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

May 10, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 30, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 9, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

October 16, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

December 19, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 15, 2025

Last Verified

December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BursaCityH

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

We will not share IPD

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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