Mobilisation following knee arthroplasty is an important aspect to achieve early and enhanced recovery after surgery and sufficient joint function. Analgesia is a crucial therapeutic element in this context. This RCT evaluates two analgetic regimens for patients undergoing primary total knee-replacement to assess impact on postoperative recovery.

Mobilisation following knee arthroplasty is important for patients to achieve early and enhanced recovery after surgery and sufficient joint function. Analgesia is a crucial therapeutic element in this context. There is evidence that regional- anaesthesiological catheter techniques are very efficient to control pain postoperatively. On the other hand, motoric function may be reduced due to nerve blocks depending on location and concentration of drug used. Local infiltration of the knee during surgery is an alternative component in pain management that may reduce impaired motor function and allow early mobilisation of patients. However, currently it is not known which analgesia technique provides optimal pain control paralleled with sufficient motor function. Against this background, this RCT evaluates two analgesia regimens for patients undergoing primary total knee-replacement to assess impact on postoperative recovery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients undergoing elective, primary knee joint replacement in combined general anaesthesia

Exclusion Criteria:

• heart insufficiency NYHA >2
• liver insufficiency > CHILD B
• evidence of diabetic polyneuropathy
• severe adipositas BMI >40
• patients < 18 years
• pregnancy
• in case of police custody
• participation in a paralleled interventional RCT in a time frame of 30 days
• chronic opioid therapy >3 months before scheduled surgery
• allergy against medication required for surgery or anaesthesia

Individual requests to analyse data are to be evaluated by local data safety authorities

Investigator and treating physicians are different in this trial, that means, the assessor of primary study endpoint will be blinded regarding group allocation. Patients receive either regional-anaesthesiological catheters preoperatively or are treatet with local infiltration technique perioperatively. For the purpose of this trial is would not be feasable to perform sham regional-anaesthesiological procedures and blinding of the treating physisican will not be possible.