Femoral or Sciatic Nerve Block to Provide Analgesia After Proximal Tibial Osteotomy

Femoral or Sciatic Nerve Block to Provide Analgesia After Proximal Tibial Osteotomy

Proximal tibial osteotomy is associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. The proximal part of the tibia is innervated by branches from the femoral nerve anteriorly and the sciatic nerve posteriorly. Little is known on the type of peripheral nerve block to perform so that optimal postoperative analgesia is provided with minimum impact on the motor function. This randomised controlled double-blinded trial tested the hypothesis that a femoral nerve block provides superior analgesia than a sciatic nerve block after proximal tibial osteotomy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• proximal tibial osteotomy

Exclusion Criteria:

• femoral or sciatic nerve deficit,
• pre-existing peripheral neuropathy,
• chronic pain diagnosis,
• pregnancy,
• identified contraindications to peripheral nerve block (e.g., local anesthetic allergy, coagulopathy, or infection at the block site).