Dr. James Flaherty publishes comparison study on efficacy of Adductor Canal Blocks
James Flaherty, MD, co-published "Comparison of Continuous Proximal Versus Distal Adductor Canal Blocks for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Noninferiority Trial" in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.
The research sought to identify whether there is an optimal location for adductor canal blocks (ACBs), hypothesizing that “a continuous proximal ACB provides postoperative analgesia is no worse than a continuous distal ACB.”
“There are many patients in which anatomic differences make our standard approach to this nerve block unsafe or technically challenging. The results of our study suggest that anesthesiologists have flexibility in choosing the location of this block, potentially increasing safety without compromising pain control.” Said Dr. Flaherty.
The study showed that continuous proximal ACBs yield postoperative analgesia comparable to distal continuous ACBs in the first 24 hours post total knee arthroplasty.
