Comparative evaluation of analgesic efficacy of adductor canal block versus IV diclofenac in patients undergoing knee arthroscopic surgery.

A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO COMPARE THE ANALGESIC EFFICACY OF SINGLE SHOT ADDUCTOR CANAL BLOCK VERSUS IV DICLOFENAC IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING ELECTIVE UNILATERAL ARTHROSCOPIC KNEE SURGERY UNDER GENERAL ANAESTHESIA.  60 ASA I/II PATIENTS ,AGED 18-65 YEARS WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER SINGLE SHOT USG GUIDED ADDUCTOR CANAL BLOCK WITH 30 ml OF 0.5% ROPIVACAINE BEFORE REVERSAL OF ANAESTHESIA OR INTRAVENOUS DICLOFENAC 1mg/Kg AT THE TIME OF COMPLETION OF SURGERY, AND THEN 8 HOURLY.  VAS WAS ASSESSED AT 30 MINUTES, 2 HOURS AT REST AND 6, 12, 24 HOURS AT REST, ON STANDING AND ON WALKING 3 METERS. THE MEAN VAS SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE ADDUCTOR CANAL BLOCK WHICH WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. THE MEAN DURATION OF ANALGESIA IN THE BLOCK GROUP DEFINED AS THE TIME ELAPSED BETWEEN THE REGIONAL NERVE BLOCK AND THE FIRST RESCUE ANALGESIC WAS HIGHER 18.6 HOURS AS COMPARED TO 10.13 HOURS IN THE DICLOFENAC GROUP. THIS DIFFERENCE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT WITH A P VALUE OF <0.0005. NO SIGNIFICANT POST OPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS OR LOCAL SIDE EFFECTS RELATED TO THE BLOCK WERE  NOTED. THUS ADDUCTOR CANAL BLOCK PROVIDES EFFECTIVE AND ADEQUATE ANALGESIA FOR POST OPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING ARTHROSCOPIC KNEE SURGERY.