Blockade of conduction in the saphenousThe saphenous nerve is a pure sensory nerve which supplies sensation to the antero-medial aspect of the lower leg from the knee down to and including the medial malleolus (Figure 1). The combination of a sciatic nerve and saphenous nerve block will provide total anaesthesia of the lower leg distal to the knee.Classically the saphenous nerve is blocked with a subcutaneous field block below the knee where the nerve emerges from behind the tendon of the sartorius muscle and lies beneath the skin (below knee field block; BKFB). t,2 An alternative approach has been described by Katz 3 and Bonica, 4 in which a subcutanous wheal of local anaesthetic is injected in a fan-like manner over the medial condyle of the femur (femoral paracondylar field block; FPFB). 3,4Our clinical experience with these approaches to the saphenous nerve block for surgery on the lower extremity has been unsatisfactory. This led us to develop an approach to the saphenous nerve that could achieve a conduction block of the parent trunk above the knee. We theorized that such a block would be more extensive and thus, would be more likely to be effective for surgery on the lower extremity.
Accepted for publication 6th October, 1993. Arthroscopic surgery is one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic procedures, and is promoted as of_ feting many advantages over open surgical procedures, including less patient discomfort and pain, shorter hospitalization, and quicker rehabilitation.~ There ave few reports of pain after arthroscopic procedures.2 However, previous studies have suggested that non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) may decrease the inflammarion associated with arthroscopie procedures, probably due to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, thus reducing pain and speeding recovery. 3 To evaluate the role of prostaglandim in post-arthroscopy pain, several studies have evaluated the use of the anri-prostaglandin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in reducing arthros-CAN J ANAESTH 1994 / 41:2 / pp98-101
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.