Comparing the effects of femoral nerve block versus femoral and sciatic nerve block on pain and opiate consumption after total knee arthroplasty.

The goal of this study was to compare femoral and femoral plus sciatic nerve blocks in the postoperative pain management of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A total of 97 patients participated in a convenience sample, comparative study. Patients who received femoral nerve block only (n = 30) reported statistically higher pain scores (P <.05) and showed 61% higher opiate consumption than those who received femoral and sciatic nerve blocks (n = 67) in the first 24 hours after surgery. The results suggest that the combined femoral and sciatic nerve block provides superior pain management in the early postoperative period after TKA.