Pain relief after major ankle and hindfoot surgery with repetitive peripheral nerve blocks: A feasibility study

Major ankle and hindfoot surgery (e.g., ankle, triple and subtalar arthrodesis) typically causes severe postoperative pain, especially the first two postoperative days. Current modalities of postoperative analgesic treatment often include continuous peripheral nerve blocks of the saphenous and sciatic nerves via catheters in order to extend the duration of pain- and opioid-free nerve blockade to 48 h. Unfortunately, the 48 h-efficacy of continuous infusion via a catheter is reduced by a high displacement rate. We hypothesised that one-time repetition of the single injection peripheral nerve blocks would provide effective analgesia with a low opioid consumption the first 48 postoperative hours.

Eleven subjects preoperatively received a popliteal sciatic and a saphenous single injection nerve block with a protracted local anaesthetic mixture. Surgery was performed under general anaesthesia. The one-time repetition of the single injection nerve block was carried out approximately 24 h after the primary nerve block. The main outcomes were pain and cumulative opioid consumption during the first 48 postoperative hours.

Nine of the 11 (82%) patients had effective analgesia without opioids during the first 48 postoperative hours. Two patients each required a single dose of 7.5 mg of oral morphine equivalents after 43 h.

One-time repetition of single injection saphenous and sciatic nerve blocks consistently provided effective analgesia practically without opioids for 48 h after major elective ankle and hindfoot surgery.