Recruiting

Adductor Canal Block

Sponsor:

UCLA

Code:

NCT06784882

Conditions

Acute Postoperative Pain

Surgery

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

continuous peripheral nerve block with OnQ pump

single injection nerve block

Study Details

Brief summary:

This is a single-center pilot study to determine if an adductor canal continuous nerve block is superior to single injection nerve block following total knee arthroplasty. Investigators will randomize participants to either continuous nerve block or single injection nerve block for the adductor canal preoperatively. They will assess differences in pain (measured in numeric rating scale), opioid consumption, and physical therapy milestones from postoperative day 0 to 7.

Conditions

Acute Postoperative Pain

Surgery

Study ID

NCT06784882

Start date

Jun 1, 2025

Status verified date

Jun, 2025

Completion date

Dec 1, 2025

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 1, 2025

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adult participants of at least 18 years of age
2. Undergoing a primary, unilateral, total knee arthroplasty
3. Planned single-injection adductor canal nerve block
4. Weight > 50 kg (to minimize the risk of local anesthetic toxicity)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. chronic opioid or tramadol use: daily oxycodone equivalents > 20 mg for > 4 weeks
2. neuro-muscular deficit of the surgical limb
3. moderate pain (NRS > 3) in an anatomic location other than the surgical site
4. planned hospital admission following surgery
5. history of opioid misuse
6. those who lack capacity to complete informed consent
7. inability to contact the investigators during the treatment period, and vice versa (e.g., lack of telephone access)
8. incarceration
9. pregnancy
10. allergy to amide local anesthetics

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Continuous adductor canal block

single injection with ropivacaine (0.5%) of the adductor canal block and a 5-day continuous perineural infusion of ropivacaine (0.2%) (experimental group)

active comparator: single injection adductor canal block

single injection with ropivacaine (0.5%) of the adductor canal block and no continuous nerve block added

Interventions

continuous peripheral nerve block with OnQ pump

For continuous nerve blocks, the infusion pump that will be used are OnQ pumps (Avanos, Alpharetta, GA) and pre-filled with ropivacaine 0.2% and provided by UCSD's Investigational Drug Services.

single injection nerve block

An adductor canal single injection nerve block will be performed per standard of care. The adductor canal will be identified by ultrasound in the short-axis view. The distal aspect of the femoral triangle (and beginning of the adductor canal) will be identified distal to the mid-thigh in the ipsilateral limb. Using ultrasound guidance, a standard Tuohy block needle will be advanced through a skin wheal of lidocaine until its tip is in the hypoechoic area immediately distal saphenous nerve adjacent to the femoral artery. Twenty milliliters of ropivacaine 0.5% will be injected in divided doses with repeated negative aspiration.

Primary outcome measure

  • analgesic effect of 5-day continuous nerve block of the adductor canal relative to a single inection nerve block with ropivacaine. [ Time Frame: 7 days ]
  • opioid consumption of 5-day continuous nerve block of the adductor canal relative to a single inection nerve block with ropivacaine. [ Time Frame: 7 days ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Rodney A Gabriel, MD

858-663-7747ragabriel@health.ucsd.edu

Locations

University of California, San Diego

Recruiting

La Jolla, California, United States, 92037

Contacts

Rodney Gabriel

8586637747ragabriel@health.ucsd.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of California, San Diego

Last update posted

Jun 17, 2025

Last verified

Jun, 2025

Keywords

  • regional anesthesia
  • total knee arthroplasty
  • nerve block

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of California, San Diego on 2025-06-17.