Abstract
Purpose of Review
To provide an overview of the adductor canal block (ACB), with specific discussion on its scope of practice in regional anesthesia for total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
Recent Findings
ACB is emerging as a viable alternative to femoral nerve block (FNB) as a purely sensory blockade providing comparable postoperative analgesia after TKA. There is growing evidence that it is non-inferior to FNB in terms of pain control, opioid consumption, and earlier ambulation without the risk of quadriceps muscle weakness.
Summary
The saphenous nerve can be effectively blocked at the adductor canal and, in conjunction with a popliteal sciatic nerve block, can be used for analgesia and anesthesia for any procedure below the knee. However, the ACB specifically has emerged as a novel technique consistently demonstrating comparable analgesic efficacy to FNB for TKA. We strongly believe, based on the current evidence available, that the ACB will replace FNB for postoperative analgesia following primary total knee arthroplasty.
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References
Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance
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Sree Kolli and Mohammed Faysal Malik declare they have no conflict of interest.
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Kolli, S., Malik, M.F. The Adductor Canal Block: a Clinical Review. Curr Anesthesiol Rep 9, 291–294 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40140-019-00335-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40140-019-00335-y