Femoral nerve block in knee joint surgery.

Assessment is made of the effectiveness of femoral nerve block, administered either before or after surgery, in supplementing postoperative analgesia for knee joint (anterior cruciate) reconstruction surgery. Femoral nerve block, performed before surgery, with Bupivacaine 0.5%, reduced intramuscular opiate administration by 80% in the recovery room and 40% in the first 24 postoperative hours. An effective and rapidly performed technique for femoral nerve block is described.