Comparison of two regional anesthetic techniques for knee arthroscopy.

This study compares the efficacy of "3-in-1 block" versus femoral nerve block for knee arthroscopy. One-hundred patients had a 3-in-1 block; 180 patients had a femoral nerve block. The 3-in-1 block provided anesthesia in 75 patients; 20 patients needed supplementary local anesthesia. Five patients required a general anesthesia to complete the operation. The femoral nerve block was effective in 88 patients; 90 patients needed intravenous flunitrazepam and/or fentanyl; 2 patients needed general anesthesia. The 3-in-1 block provided more satisfactory muscle relaxation and a longer postoperative analgesia than femoral nerve block. No side effects were recorded in either group. Our results suggest that the 3-in-1 block is the most effective technique of regional anesthesia for knee arthroscopy.