Introduction. Local anaesthetic has been reported to have a detrimental effect on human chondrocytes both in vitro and in vivo. Magnesium, an NMDA-receptor antagonist, may be an alternative intra-articular analgesic agent following arthroscopy. We aimed to report the dose response effect of commonly used local anaesthteitc on chondrocyte viability and also report on the effect of adding magnesium to local anaesthetic. Methods. Human chondrocytes were grown under standard conditions. Cells were exposed to either lignocaine (0.5, 1, 2%), levobupivacaine (0.125, 0.25, 0.5%), bupivacaine (0.125, −.25, 0.5%) or ropivacaine (0.1875, 0.375, 0.75%) for 15 minutes. Cells were also exposed to a local anesthetic agent with the addition of magnesium (10, 20, or 50%). Cells exposed to media or saline served as controls. The MTS assay was used to assess cell viability 24-hours after exposure. Results. One-way ANOVA showed an expected dose response in all local anaesthetic groups with the exception of lignocaine. Magnesium alone was no more toxic than normal saline (P>0.3). 50% magnesium showed similar effect on cell viability to the least toxic local anaesthetic (lignocaine 1%, P=0.31). The addition of magnesium to the local anesthetic agents resulted in greater cell viability than when cells were treated with the respective local anaesthetic alone (lignocaine (P=0.033), levobupivacaine (P=0.007), bupivacaine (P<0.001), ropivacaine (P<0.001)). Conclusion. We have shown that cell viability is greater in the presence of magnesium than selected local anaesthetics and also with the addition of magnesium to local anaesthetic compared to the local anesthetic agent alone. We believe that these findings offer support to an alternative intra-articular analgesia following arthroscopy

Conventional teaching advises against using adrenaline with local anaesthetic near end-arteries due to risks of irreversible vasospasm, however there are benefits of adjunctive adrenaline including enhanced anaesthetic effect, prolonged duration and temporary haemostasis. Retrospective analysis was undertaken for all elective finger and distal palmar surgery using digital nerve or field blocks performed by four orthopaedic hand surgeons, during a two-year period in a large teaching hospital. Data collected from theatre databases and clinical notes included procedure type, anaesthetic agent, adrenaline use, tourniquet use and evidence of post-operative digital ischaemia or wound complications. 230 procedures (mean age 59 years) were performed, including 158 cases with plain anaesthetic only (2%, 1% Lidocaine or 0.25% Bupivicaine in 150, 4 and 4 cases respectively) and 72 cases with 0.25% Bupivicaine and adrenaline (1:200,000.) Mean anaesthetic volume was 7.5ml (7.2ml vs 8.0ml without and with adrenaline respectively.) Tourniquet was used in all cases without adrenaline but was not used in 21 (29%) of cases with adrenaline. Mean tourniquet time in each group was 16 minutes. Two post-operative infections occurred in the group without adrenaline with none in the adrenaline group and there were no cases of digital necrosis in either group. In the elective setting, adjunctive adrenaline with local anaesthetic does not increase the risk of post-operative infections or digital ischaemia. For proximal finger surgery, where digital tourniquets are often restrictive, using adrenaline can prevent the need for painful arm tourniquets

It has been reported that some of the local anaesthetic agents possess antimicrobial activity against clinically-significant bacteria. Although bupivacaine exhibits a bacteriostatic effect at concentrations above 0.25% there are concerns that it might interact with some of the other antibiotics administered to patients. Whilst these interactions may be potentially benign, the risk is that they are antagonistic and that local bupivacaine might predispose the patient to a higher risk of infection. Bupivacaine is commonly administered as a local anaesthetic following knee arthroplasy; the purpose of this study was to assess its potential interactions with gentamicin eluting from the cement used to fix the device. A strain of Saphylococcus aureus (29213) with established susceptible Minimal Inhibition Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) for gentamicin was used. This organism was inoculated into four types of broth; Mueller-Hinton broth (MH), MH with different concentrations of gentamicin, MH with 0.25% and 0.125% bupivacaine and MH with various combinations of gentamicin and bupivacaine. The broths were incubated at 37C and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 24 hours post inoculation the number of bacteria remaining were counted. From these data kill-curves were generated describing the absolute and individual rates of killing seen with bupivacaine and gentamicin alone and when in combination. Bupivacaine showed a bacteriostatic effect only at concentrations of 0.25% and higher. All concentrations of gentamicin above or equal to the expected MBC showed bactericidal effect. However, in combination with both strengths of Bupivacaine (0.25 and 0.125%) the bacteriocidal effect of gentamicin was seen at a lower concentration and the rate of killing of bacteria was enhanced. Bupivacaine has bacteriostatic effect at concentrations above 0.25% in line with published data. In these experiments we have shown that the use of bupivacaine together with gentamicin does not reduce the bactericidal property of the antibiotic and that the bactericidal effect of gentamicin appears to be enhanced by bupivacaine. This would suggest that the local use of bupivacaine is unlikely to increase the risk of infection in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty and may actually be beneficial

Background. Continuous post-operative infusion of local anaesthetic solutions has been implicated as the causative factor in many cases of chondrolysis. Recent in-vitro studies have shown that even a single exposure to local anaesthetic can cause apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to chondrocyte death. Glucosamine has been shown to have a protective and reparative effect on articular cartilage. Aims. To compare the effect of a single exposure of different local anaesthetic solutions on human articular cartilage and to investigate the protective and reparative effects of Glucosamine on articular cartilage exposed to 0.5% Bupivacaine. Methods. Chondral explants (n=354) were obtained from femoral heads of hip fracture patients undergoing hemiarthroplasty. Each specimen was exposed to one of 8 test solutions for one hour. The specimens were then incubated in culture medium containing radio-labelled 35-sulphur for 16 hours. The uptake of 35-S by each specimen was measured to give an estimate of proteoglycan metabolism. Test solutions. 1. 1% Lidocaine 2. 2% Lidocaine 3. 0.25% Bupivacaine, 4. 0.5% Bupivacaine, 5. 0.5% Levo-Bupivacaine 6. Control solution of M199 culture medium. 7. To investigate its protective effect, 100 micrograms of Glucosamine was added along with 0.5% Bupivacaine 8. To investigate its reparative effect, Glucosamine was added after exposure to Bupivacaine for an hour. Results. Compared to the control solution, the inhibition of proteoglycan metabolism was 64% with 1% Lidocaine(p< 0.001), 79% with 2% Lidocaine(p< 0.001), 61% with 0.25% Bupivacaine(p< 0.001), 85% with 0.5% Bupivacaine(p< 0.001) and 77% with 0.5% Levo-Bupivacaine(p< 0.001). Adding Glucosamine reduced Bupivacaine toxicity to 43%(p< 0.001). Glucosamine marginally repaired the damage caused by Bupivacaine, with inhibition of proteoglycan metabolism at 70%(p=0.004). Conclusion. All local anaesthetic solutions were toxic to articular cartilage. The addition of Glucosamine to 0.5% Bupivacaine protected against its toxicity to articular cartilage

Introduction. Pneumatic tourniquets (PTs) are commonly used in local anaesthetic cases in the upper limb to provide a bloodless operating field. They give excellent efficacy however their limitations have prompted the introduction of a new single-use sterile silicone ring tourniquet (SRT). The evidence of use of the SRT over the standard PT is limited. Aim. To compare the level of perceived pain, and therefore tolerance, of the Silicone Ring and Pneumatic tourniquets when applied to the upper arm and to evaluate whether there was a clear benefit of use of either tourniquet in local anaesthetic procedures of the upper limb. Materials and methods. 30 volunteers, 15 male and 15 female, with a median age of 42 were recruited to compare the two tourniquets. Pain was measured using a VAS pain scale on application and at 1, 5 and 10 minutes. Results. Volunteers experienced significantly more pain on application and at 1 and 5 minutes with the SRT. This difference in pain perceived was most marked upon application. Two volunteers could not tolerate application of the SRT. Three volunteers experienced bruising of the arm and/or forearm following use of the SRT. There was no difference in pain scores at 10 minutes. Conclusion. Due to the severe pain experienced on application of the SRT it would not be suitable for local anaesthetic procedures in the upper limb. In addition the degree of pain may reduce the patients confidence and adversely affect their experience of the procedure. The PT is more suitable for local procedures. However the SRT may have a role in procedures performed under general anaesthetic

Introduction. Regional anesthesia is commonly utilized to minimize postoperative pain, improve function, and allow earlier rehabilitation following Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). The adductor canal block (ACB) provides effective analgesia of the anterior knee. However, patients will often experience posterior pain not covered by the ACB requiring supplemental opioid medications. A technique involving infiltration of local anesthetic between the popliteal artery and capsule of knee (IPACK) targets the terminal branches of the sciatic nerve, providing an alternative for controlling posterior knee pain following TKA. Materials and Methods. IRB approval was obtained, a power analysis was performed, and all patients gave informed consent. Eligible patients were those scheduled for an elective unilateral, primary TKA, who were ≥ 18 years old, English speaking, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA PS) classification I-III. Exclusion criteria included contraindication to regional anesthesia or peripheral nerve blocks, allergy to local anesthetics, allergy to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), chronic renal insufficiency with GFR < 60, chronic pain not related to the operative joint, chronic (> 3 month) opioid use, pre-existing peripheral neuropathy involving the operative limb, and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m. 2. . Patients were randomized into one of two treatment arms: Continuous ACB with IPACK (IPACK Group) block or Continuous ACB with sham subcutaneous saline injection (No IPACK Group). IPACK Group received single injection of 20 mL 0.25% Ropivacaine. Postoperatively, all patients received a standardized multimodal analgesic regimen. The study followed a double-blinded format. Only the anesthesiologist performing the block was aware of randomization status. Following surgery, a blinded medical assessor recorded cumulative opioid consumption, average and worst pain scores, and gait distance. Results. 72 people were enrolled in the study and three withdrew. There were 35 people in the IPACK group and 34 in the NO IPACK group. There was no difference demographically between the groups. In the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), the average (P=0.0122) and worst (P=0.0168) pain scores at rest were statistically lower in the IPACK group. There was no difference in the pain scores during physical therapy. (P=0.2080) There was no difference in opioid consumption in the PACU (P=0.7928), at 8 hours (P=0.2867), 16 hours (P=0.2387), 24 hours (P=0.7456), or 30 hours (P=0.8029). There was no difference in pain scores on POD 1 in the AM (P=0.4597) or PM (P=0.6273), nor was there any difference in walking distance (P=0.5197). There was also no difference in length of stay in the PACU (P=0.9426) or hospital (P=0.2141) between the two groups. Discussion/Conclusion. Overall, pain was well controlled between the two groups. The IPACK group had lower pain scores at rest in the PACU, but this may not be clinically significant. The routine use of the IPACK is not supported by the results of this study. There may be use of the IPACK block as a rescue block or in patients whom have contraindications to our standard multimodal treatment regimen, or in patients with chronic pain or opioid dependence

Introduction. The conservative management of Sub-Acromial Impingement Syndrome (SAIS) of the shoulder includes both physiotherapy treatment and subacromial injection with local anaesthetic and steroids. The outcome from injection treatment has rarely been evaluated scientifically. Methods. Patients attending a designated shoulder clinic and diagnosed by an experienced shoulder surgeon as having a SAIS between January 2009 and December 2011 were considered for inclusion in the study. 67 of 86 patients screened completed the study (3 did not meet inclusion criteria; 9 declined to participate; 3 lost to follow-up; 4 developed frozen shoulder syndrome). Each patient had a pre-injection Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and was given one subacromial injection of 10ml 0.25% levobupivacaine(Chirocaine) + 40 mg triamcinolone(Kenalog) through the posterior route. Radiograph imaging was also assessed. Follow-up was carried out at 6 to 12 weeks post injection when OSS was repeated. A 6 month follow-up assessment to assess if the patient's improvement in functionality and absence of symptoms indicated that a subacromial decompression operation was not necessary. The percentage of patients showing improvement in OSS was calculated and the difference in OSS pre- and post-injection assessed using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. Results. The median OSS pre-injection was 29 (range 2–43) and post-injection was 40 (range 2–48) (p=< 0.001; z=−6.0; r=−0.5). 45/69 (71%) of patients benefited significantly from subacromial injection at 6 to 12 weeks post-injection. However only 28/53 (53%) benefited significantly from injection by 6 months post-injection. These results support the continued use of sub-acromial corticosteroid injections in the treatment of SAIS. 31% of these patients were subsequently treated with an arthroscopic subacromial decompression operation. Previous injection history had no impact on the results. Conclusions. We recommend that all patients with SAIS should be offered at least one subacromial injection before being considered for an arthroscopic subacromial decompression operation

We carried out a comparison of the analgesic requirements, length of stay in hospital, complications and cost effectiveness of patients who had either a continuous disposable infusion pump or standard treatment for unicompartmental knee replacement.

This study began as an audit. We completed the audit loop with a prospective study after implementing our recommendations. The device is a single use disposable elastometric pump, set immediately after surgery to deliver a continuous flow of 0.5% bupivacaine at a rate of 2mls per hour for 48 hrs into the knee joint via a fine catheter with a fenestrated tip.

The case notes of all patients in the study were analysed to establish their total analgesic requirements for 48hrs following surgery. Complications and length of stay in hospital were recorded This has changed our clinical practice. Results of our study of 50 patients, 25 in each group (age and sex matched) confirmed that there was a significant reduction in opiate requirements after introduction of the pain pump. Length of stay in hospital was reduced from 5.7 to 3.9 days. Patients' requirements for NSAIDs were reduced. There were no significant complications in the pain pump group. The costs of the pump (£40) were offset by the reduction in analgesic requirements and shortened length of stay in hospital.

We conclude this form of analgesia is safe, effective and cost effective. Our department has now changed to using the pump for all unicompartmental knee replacements.

Introduction

This study was performed to investigate the efficacy of steroid and local anaesthesia (LA) in reducing post-operative pain in lumbar discectomy.

Estimated to affect 2–5% of the population, adhesive capsulitis is a common cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction. The objective of this study is to determine if arthrographic injection of the shoulder joint with steroid, local anesthetic and contrast is an effective treatment modality for adhesive capsulitis and whether it is superior to arthrographic injection with local anesthetic and contrast alone. This is a double-blinded RCT of patients with a diagnosis of adhesive capsulitis who were randomly assigned to receive an image guided arthrographic glenohumeral injection with either triamcinalone (steroid), lidocaine (local anesthetic) and contrast or lidocaine and contrast alone. Outcome measures included active and passive shoulder range of motion (ROM) and functional outcomes assessed using the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), the Constant Score and a Visual Analog Scale for pain. Post-operative evaluation occurred at 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Descriptive statistics were utilised to summarise patient demographics and other study parameters. One-way ANOVAs compared the VAS, Constant and SPADI scores across the different time points for both study groups. The post hoc Bonferroni correction was used to adjust for multiple comparisons. There were 37 shoulders injected with follow-up visits at 12 weeks. Twenty shoulders were randomised to receive local plus steroid and 17 shoulders received local anesthetic only. There were 21 females and 14 males with an average age of 54 years (range, 42–70). VAS scores for both patient groups were significantly improved (p<0.05) at all follow-up times. Goniometric testing demonstrated significant improvements in forward flexion and internal rotation at 90 degrees in the local group and only abduction in the local plus steroid group. There were no significant changes in the Constant scores for the local group (p=0.08), however, the Constant scores showed significant improvement for the local plus steroid group (p=0.003) at all follow-up time points. The local group showed significant improvement in their SPADI pain scores at the 12 week follow-up only (p=0.01). There were no significant differences in their SPADI disability scores (p=0.09). The local plus steroid group had significant improvement in SPADI pain and disability scores at all follow-up time points (p=0.001). The optimal treatment for adhesive capsulitis remains unclear. Our study demonstrated that patients receiving an arthrographic injection of either steroid and local anesthetic or local anesthetic alone had significantly improved post-injection pain scores. However, only the steroid and local anesthetic group demonstrated improved SPADI disability and Constant scores. Thus, we believe that either treatment may be a good option for patients with adhesive capsulitis and can reliably relieve pain, but we would recommend the steroid with local anesthetic over the local anesthetic alone as it may provide improved function

Objective. Carpal tunnel release surgery is a commonly performed procedure for alleviating symptoms of median nerve compression and restoring hand function. With pressure on theatre time these procedures are now commonly performed in a step-down out-patient facility under local anaesthetic. The choice of suture for skin closure in this procedure can impact the quality of wound healing, patient outcomes and the follow-up required however the question of the best type of suture remains unanswered. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of absorbable and non-absorbable sutures using a randomised control trial design. Methods. Eighty patients diagnosed with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome were enrolled and underwent outpatient carpal tunnel release surgery under local anaesthetic in a staged fashion. Random number generation was used to assign each hand to receive interrupted nylon or Vicryl Rapide sutures. Pre-operative data collection included patient demographics, ASA, inflammatory conditions, smoking status as well as a Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) for each hand. Patients were followed up at 2 and 6 weeks after each operation and the BCTQ was repeated along with the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale and the VAS score for wound discomfort. This study has approval from the DHB ethics committee, Local Iwi, HDC and ANZ Clinical Trials:ACTRN12623000100695. Results. Statistical analysis assessed patient preference and the scores between the groups. Multi-variate analysis was performed to assess the factors that may be contributing to patient choice. Conclusion. Insights into patient preference and clinical outcomes associated with absorbable sutures and non-absorbable sutures in the setting of out-patient surgery are discussed

Introduction. Total knee arthroplasty is a painful operation. Peri-articular local anesthetic injections reduce post-operative pain and assist recovery. It is inconclusive whether intra-operative injections of peri-articular corticosteroids are of benefit. Clinical Question: In patients with osteoarthritis who are undergoing TKA, does the addition of high or low dose corticosteroid to peri-articular injections of local anesthetic and adrenaline improve post-operative pain and range of motion?. Methods. A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of adding peri-articular corticosteroids to intra-operative, peri-articular high volume local anaesthetic in post-operative pain management following TKA. 127 patients were randomised into three groups receiving local anaesthetic alone (control) or either low dose (40 mg) or high dose (80 mg) peri-articular corticosteroid plus local anaesthetic. Primary outcomes included ROM and visual analog pain scores (VAS). Pain was defined as the worst pain lasting for more than 20 minutes, measured at both rest (RVAS) and during activity (AVAS). Results. There were no significant between-group differences for age, body mass index (BMI), pre-operative ROM or pre-operative pain scores. There were no statistically significant differences in primary or secondary outcomes between the groups. This was the case at all time points. Analysis of non-significant trends demonstrated a 17.7% reduction in RVAS between the control group and high dose steroid group at 12-weeks. This trend was also apparent at 2 and 6 weeks. There was no trend towards decreased total morphine equivalents (or any other secondary outcome) between the control and high dose groups. Discussion. Corticosteroids have been postulated to facilitate post-operative ROM and reduce pain after TKA. However we were unable to show any significant clinical effect of peri-articular triamcinolone acetate at two different dosages. While it appears that corticosteroids are safe to administer in a select patient population, the results of this paper do not suggest a benefit in TKA

Introduction. Peri-articular local anesthetic injections reduce post-operative pain in total knee arthroplasty and assist recovery. It is inconclusive whether intra-operative injection of peri-articular morphine is locally effective. The aim of this study is whether the addition of morphine to peri-articular injections in only unilateral knee improves post-operative pain, range of motion, swelling in patients with simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty. Materials and Methods. A prospective single-center double-blinded randomized controlled trial was undertaken to assess the local efficacy of adding morphine to intra-operative, peri-articular anesthesia in simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty. Twenty eight patients with 56 TKAs were randomly divided into 2 groups, unilateral TKA with intraoperative peri-articular injection with adding morphine and the other side TKA without adding morphine. The morphine group received an intraoperative, peri-articular injection of local anesthetic (Ropivacaine 150mg), epinephrine (50μg), ketoprofen (25mg) and methylpredonisolone sodium (20mg) plus 0.1mg/kg of morphine. The no-morphine group received the same amount of local anesthetic, epinephrine, ketoprofen and methylpredonisolone sodium without morphine. The operating surgeon, operating staff, patients, physiotherapists, ward nursing staff and data collectors remained blinded for the duration of study. All surgeries were performed by the same operating team. A standard medial parapatellar approach was used in all operations. Post-operative analgesia was standardized to all participants with celecoxib daily for 3 weeks. Primary outcomes included visual analog pain scores (VAS), ROM and swelling of the thigh. Secondary outcomes included WOMAC and adverse outcomes. Result. There were no significant differences between two groups for pre-operative ROM, pre-operative pain VAS or the circumference of the thigh. There were no statistically significant differences in primary and secondary outcomes between two groups (Figure 1, 2, 3). Discussion. Multiple studies have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of multimodal peri-articular injection of analgesics in TKA for pain relief. However, the opioids often lead to nausea as an adverse effect, which is reported from 25% to 56%. The mechanism of pain relief by morphine is mainly the efficacy through the opioid receptor in central nerve system, and the other mechanism through local opioid receptor (μ-receptor) is rarely revealed for pain relief. Our study used morphine in unilateral TKA and no-morphine in the other side TKA and showed no significant difference in primary and secondary outcomes. These results revealed that the efficacy for pain relief in peri-articular injection without morphine is the same as that in no-morphine group. In conclusion, adding morphine in peri-articular injection could not be locally effective for pain relief

Currently 180 days is the target maximum wait time set by all Canadian provinces for elective joint replacement surgery. In Nova Scotia however, only 34% of Total Knee Arthroplasties (TKA) and 51% of Total Hip Arthroplasties (THA) met this benchmark in 2017. Surgery performed later in the natural history of disease is shown to have significant impact on pain, function and Health related Quality of Life at the time of surgery and potentially affect post-operative outcomes. The aim of this study is to describe the association between wait time and acute hospital Length of Stay (LOS) during elective hip and knee arthroplasty in province of Nova Scotia. Secondarily we aim to describe risk factors associated with variations in LOS. Data from Patient Access Registry Nova Scotia (PAR-NS) was linked to the hospital Discharge Access Database (DAD) for primary hip and knee arthroplasty spanning 2009 to 2017. There were 23,727 DAD observations and 21,329 PARNS observations identified. Observations were excluded based on missing variables, missing linkages, revision status and emergency cases. Percentage difference in LOS, risk factors and outcomes were analyzed using Poisson regression for those waiting more than 180 days compared to those waiting equal or less than 180 days. For primary TKA, 11,833 observations were identified with mean age of 66 years, mean wait time of 348 days and mean LOS of 3.6 days. After adjusting for controls, patients waiting more than 180 days for elective TKA have a 2.5% longer acute care LOS (p < 0.028). Risk factors identified for prolonged LOS are advanced age, female gender, higher surgical priority indicator, required blood transfusion, dementia, peptic ulcer disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, malignancy, ischemic heart disease and diabetes. Factors associated with decreased LOS are surgical year, use of local anesthetic, peripheral location of hospital and admission to hospital from home. For primary THA, 6626 observations were identified with mean age of 66 years, mean wait time of 267 days and mean LOS of 4 days. Patients waiting more than 180 days for THA did not show a statistically significant association with LOS. Risk factors and protective factors are the same with exception of CVD and use of local anesthetic. Our findings suggest a positive and statistically significant association for patients waiting more than 180 days for TKA and longer acute care LOS. Longer LOS may be due to deteriorating health status while placed on a surgical waitlist and may represent a delayed and indirect cost to the patient and the healthcare system. Ultimately with projected increase in demand for elective joint replacement surgeries, our findings are aimed to inform physicians and policy makers in management of surgical waitlist efficiency and cost effectiveness. For any reader inquiries, please contact . shahriar-s@hotmail.com

Introduction. The management of chronic wrist pain is a challenging clinical problem. Wrist denervation aims to achieve an improvement in pain through selective neurotomy, irrespective of cause. Numerous authors have reported their experience and demonstrated a range of clinical outcomes. No studies to date have reliably identified patient populations in whom denervation surgery is most likely to succeed. We aimed to establish and investigate a new approach, combining local anaesthetic injections with a uniquely tailored functional assessment by a hand therapist, to act as a tool to identify individuals in whom surgical denervation is more likely to yield benefit. Methods. We conducted a retrospective review of 17 patients who had undergone wrist denervation procedures following our method of pre-operative assessment and selection. Patients in whom denervation was combined with other diagnostic or therapeutic surgical procedures were excluded. Each patient underwent an initial assessment by a hand therapist in which pain and functional scores were recorded using the Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE). Further unique assessments of function were made, tailored to the functional goals and requirements of each patient. Pain scores were measured for each task. Local anaesthetic injections were then administered around the nerves considered for neurotomy and the assessments were repeated. Patients who demonstrated clear improvements in pain and function underwent surgery. Post-operative assessments of pain and function were repeated. Results. Results were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. There was a statistically significant improvement in pain following wrist denervation surgery (p=0.06) as well as an improvement in function as measured on PRWE (p=0.01). Furthermore, the degree of improvement following local anesthetic injection correlated with the degree of improvement seen after surgery (p=0.06). Conclusions. Regardless of underlying diagnosis, improvements in pain and function following our assessment and selection process correlated with improvements seen after denervation surgery

Dexmedetomidine, an alpha 2 agonist, has been approved for providing sedation in the intensive care unit. Along with sedative properties, it has analgesic activity through its highly selective action on alpha 2 receptors. Recent studies have examined the use of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to prolong the duration of peripheral nerve blocks. Studies showing effectiveness of dexmedetomidine for adductor canal block in knee surgery are small. Also, its effectiveness has not been compared to Epinephrine which is a strong alpha and beta receptor agonist. In a previous study, we showed that motor sparing knee blocks significantly increased the duration of analgesia compared with periarticular knee infiltration using local anesthetic mixture containing Epinephrine following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In this study, we compared two local anesthetic mixtures: one containing Dexmedetomidine and the other Epinephrine for prolongation of motor sparing knee block in primary TKA patients. After local ethics board approval and gaining Notice of Compliance (NOC) from Health Canada for use of Dexmedetomidine perineurally, 70 patients between the ages 18 – 95 of ASA class I to III undergoing unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty were enrolled. Motor sparing knee block − 1) Adductor canal continuous catheter 2) Single shot Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve block 3) Single shot posterior knee infiltration was performed in all patients using 60 ml mixture of 0.5% Ropivacaine, 10 mg Morphine, 30 mg Ketorolac. Patients randomized into the Dexmedetomidine group (D) received, in addition to the mixture, 1mcg/kg Dexmedetomidine and the Epinephrine (E) group received 200mcg in the mixture. The primary outcome was time to first rescue analgesia as a surrogate for duration of analgesia and secondary outcomes were NRS pain scores up to 24 hours and opioid consumption. The time to first rescue analgesia was not significantly different between Epinephrine and dexmedetomidine groups, Mean and SD 18.45 ± 12.98 hours vs 16.63 ± 11.80 hours with a mean difference of 1.82 hours (95% CI −4.54 to 8.18 hours) and p value of 0.57. Pain scores at 4, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours were comparable between groups. Mean NRS pain scores Epinephrine vs Dexmedetomidine groups were 1.03 vs 0.80 at 4 hours, 1.48 vs 3.03 at 6 hours, 3.97 vs 4.93 at 12 hours, 5.31 vs 6.18 and 6.59 v 6.12 at 24 hours. Opioid consumption was also not statistically significant between both groups at 6, 12 18, 24 hours (p values 0.18, 0.88, 0.09, 0.64 respectively). Dexmedetomidine does not prolong the duration of knee motor sparing blocks when compared to Epinephrine for total knee arthroplasty. Pain scores and opioid consumption was also comparable in both groups. Further studies using higher dose of dexmedetomidine are warranted

Interscalene brachial plexus block is the standard regional analgesic technique for shoulder surgery. Given its adverse effects, alternative techniques have been explored. Reports suggest that the erector spinae plane block may potentially provide effective analgesia following shoulder surgery. However, its analgesic efficacy for shoulder surgery compared with placebo or local anaesthetic infiltration has never been established. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to compare the analgesic efficacy of pre-operative T2 erector spinae plane block with peri-articular infiltration at the end of surgery. Sixty-two patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder repair were randomly assigned to receive active erector spinae plane block with saline peri-articular injection (n = 31) or active peri-articular injection with saline erector spinae plane block (n = 31) in a blinded double-dummy design. Primary outcome was resting pain score in recovery. Secondary outcomes included pain scores with movement; opioid use; patient satisfaction; adverse effects in hospital; and outcomes at 24 h and 1 month. There was no difference in pain scores in recovery, with a median difference (95%CI) of 0.6 (-1.9-3.1), p = 0.65. Median postoperative oral morphine equivalent utilisation was significantly higher in the erector spinae plane group (21 mg vs. 12 mg; p = 0.028). Itching was observed in 10% of patients who received erector spinae plane block and there was no difference in the incidence of significant nausea and vomiting. Patient satisfaction scores, and pain scores and opioid use at 24 h were similar. At 1 month, six (peri-articular injection) and eight (erector spinae plane block) patients reported persistent pain. Erector spinae plane block was not superior to peri-articular injection for arthroscopic shoulder surgery

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is reliable and reproducible in relieving pain and improving function in patients with end-stage arthritis of the hip joint. With improvements in surgical technique and advances in implant and instrument design, there has been a shift in focus from the technical aspects of the surgical procedure to improving the overall patient experience. In addition, shifts in medico-economic trends placed a premium on early patient mobilization, early discharge, and maximizing patient satisfaction. Arguably, a single most important advance in arthroplasty over the past 2 decades has been the development of multimodal pain protocols that form the foundation of many of the rapid recovery protocols today. The principal concept of multimodal analgesia is pain reduction through the utilization of multiple agents that synergistically act at various nodes of the pain pathway, thus, minimizing patient exposure to each individual agent and opioids in order to prevent opioid related adverse events (ORAE). Regional anesthesia has been shown to reduce post-operative pain, morphine consumption, and nausea and vomiting compared to general anesthesia but not length of stay. Additionally, general anesthesia has been shown to be associated with increased rates of post-operative adverse events, The use of peripheral nerve blocks in the form of sciatic, femoral or fascia iliaca blocks have not been shown to significantly reduce post-operative pain compared to controls. Periarticular infiltration of local anesthetics has been shown in some settings to reduce pain during the immediate post-operative period (<24 h). However, no significant differences were noted in terms of early recovery or complications. The use of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) local infiltration decreased pain and shortened length of stay comparable to patients receiving a fascia iliaca compartment block, and has been shown in relatively few randomised trials to provide improved pain relief at 24 hours only compared to conventional bupivacaine. Continuous intra-articular infusion of bupivacaine after THA did not significantly further reduce post-operative pain compared to placebo. In summary, the use of regional anesthesia when appropriate along with local anesthetic infiltration in the setting of a robust multimodal pain protocol minimises pain and complications while maximizing patient satisfaction following THA

Regional anaesthesia is integral to best practice analgesia for patients with neck of femur fractures (NOFFs). These patients are generally frail and are vulnerable to side effects of opioid analgesia. Femoral nerve block (FNB) or fascia-iliaca block (FIB) can reduce opioid requirement. Literature supports good efficacy for extra-capsular NOFFs however it is acknowledged to be suboptimal for intracapsular fractures. We present a novel technique, using point of care ultrasound guidance to perform hip ultrasound guided haematoma (HUSH) aspiration, and injection of local anaesthetic (block) for intracapsular NOFFs. This a case control series. A consecutive series of cognitively intact patients, with an isolated intra-capsular NOFF, received a HUSH block using 10mls of 0.75% Ropivicaine. Haematoma was aspirated and volume recorded. This was performed in addition to standard NOFF pathway analgesia that includes a FIB and multimodal analgesia including opioids. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)pain scores at rest and on movement were recorded pre and post procedure as well as combined morphine equivalent units administered post HUSH block. The control arm was a retrospective group of similar patients who followed the routine care pathway including a FIB. VAS pain scores from observation charts and usage of morphine equivalent units were calculated. Ten patients consented to receive HUSH blocks and we included thirty-eight patients in our control series. The HUSH block group showed mean VAS pain score of 4.2/10 at rest and 8.6 on movement prior to block. In the time after the block, VAS pain scores reduced to 1.5 at rest (p=0.007) and 3.1 on movement (p=0.0001) with a mean total morphine equivalent use of 8.75mg. This is significantly different from the control group's mean VAS pain at rest score 6.9 (p=0.0001) and 24.1mg total morphine equivalent (p=0.07). HUSH Block in addition to fascia iliaca block appears to significantly better pain relief in intracapsular neck of femur fracture patients when compared to fascia iliaca block alone. We believe it is relatively easy to perform with readily available ultrasound scanners in emergency departments

Background:. The reported prevalence of sciatica ranges from 1.2% to 43%. Epidural injections are the most commonly performed interventions for sciatica. Setting:. A provincial based spinal unit. Objective:. To evaluate the effectiveness of lumbar epidural injections with local anaesthetic and steroids, in patients with sciatica secondary to disc herniation in providing effective pain relief. Methods:. A retrospective chart review of 25 patients given an epidural with local anaesthetic mixed with non-particulate betamethasone. Patient outcomes were measured at baseline and 6 weeks with the Oswestry Disability Index 2.0 (ODI). Observations of gender, sex, co-morbities and medication intake were made. Decrease of 50% in the Oswestry scores were considered significant. Results:. Significant pain relief was seen at 6 weeks in 80% of patients and medication intake was decreased. Limitations:. The study limitations include the lack of a placebo group and the fact that this is a preliminary report of the 25 patients. Conclusion:. Overall, 80% of patients with sciatica benefited from lumbar epidural injections