Comparing Subsartorial Saphenous Nerve Blocks With and Without Dexamethasone for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

For patients undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction surgery, the postoperative period can be a painful experience without adequate pain management. Hence the investigators propose a randomized controlled clinical study, investigating prolonged saphenous nerve blocks. Patients will be randomized to receive saphenous nerve blocks with or without dexamethasone, a corticosteroid used to prolong analgesia.

Depending on the randomized treatment assignment, patients may receive one of the following:

1. 13 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine, a local anesthetic (no dexamethasone);
2. 13 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine mixed with 1 mg of dexamethasone;
3. 13 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine mixed with 4 mg of dexamethasone.

Patients will be followed postoperatively. Following admission to the recovery room, data collectors will ask patients to rate their pain on a scale of 0-10 until discharge. Data collectors will also record patient satisfaction, pain medication use and any side effects experienced (i.e. nausea and vomiting). Patients will then be contacted on postoperative days 1, 2 and 14 and asked questions about their general well-being.