Spinal Anesthesia Versus Combined Sciatic-femoral Nerve Block for Outpatient Knee Arthroscopy

Spinale Unilaterale o Blocco Nervoso Periferico Per le Artroscopie di Ginocchio in Day Surgery. Confronto Prospettico Randomizzato

The aim of the study is to compare the time of home discharge in day-case patients receiving either a spinal anesthesia or a combined sciatic-femoral nerve block for knee arthroscopy

Two groups: the first receive a spinal anesthesia injecting 2% hyperbaric prilocaine 40 mg with the patients in lateral decubitus and the surgical limb declive, the second a combined ultrasound-guided sciatic-femoral nerve block injecting 25 ml of 2% mepivacaine solution.

Onset time, performance time, duration of the block, time of voiding, as well as the time of home discharge will be evaluated.

Inclusion Criteria:

• outpatients knee arthroscopy

Exclusion Criteria:

• diabetes
• allergy to local anesthetic
• patient refusal
• chronic opiods assumption