Comparing Subsartorial Saphenous Nerve Blocks With and Without Dexamethasone for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
For patients undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction surgery, the postoperative
period can be a painful experience without adequate pain management. Hence the investigators
propose a randomized controlled clinical study, investigating prolonged saphenous nerve
blocks. Patients will be randomized to receive saphenous nerve blocks with or without
dexamethasone, a corticosteroid used to prolong analgesia.
Depending on the randomized treatment assignment, patients may receive one of the following:
1. 13 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine, a local anesthetic (no dexamethasone);
2. 13 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine mixed with 1 mg of dexamethasone;
3. 13 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine mixed with 4 mg of dexamethasone.
Patients will be followed postoperatively. Following admission to the recovery room, data
collectors will ask patients to rate their pain on a scale of 0-10 until discharge. Data
collectors will also record patient satisfaction, pain medication use and any side effects
experienced (i.e. nausea and vomiting). Patients will then be contacted on postoperative days
1, 2 and 14 and asked questions about their general well-being.