Postoperative Analgesic Effect of Additional Local Infiltration Analgesia Combined With Continuous Femoral and Sciatic Nerve Blocks in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the efficacy of postoperative pain control with additional Local infiltration analgesia (LIA) combined with femoral nerve block (FNB) and sciatic nerve block (SNB). Methods: A total of 88 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were enrolled in this study. All patients received combined continuous FNB and SNB, but only the LIA group received additional LIA, including methylprednisolone, at the end of surgery. We analyzed the numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain at rest at 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. Results: The peripheral nerve block (PNB) and LIA groups included 29 and 59 patients, respectively. The median NRS at rest at both 24 and 48 hours in the LIA group was significantly lower than in the PNB group (postoperative day 1 [POD1]: 0 vs. 5; postoperative day 2 [POD2]: 2 vs. 3; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Additional LIA combined with FNB and SNB provided better postoperative analgesia through POD2 compared to PNB alone.