Review on Nerve Blocks Utilized for Perioperative Total Knee Arthroplasty Analgesia

Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is an increasingly common procedure performed for advanced osteoarthritis. Optimal perioperative pain management strategies are critical for early mobilization and shorter hospital stays in TKA. Peripheral nerve blocks commonly used in TKA perioperative analgesia including individual and combined femoral, obturator, sciatic, lumbar plexus, and adductor canal nerve blocks. Overall, the safety profile varies depending on which block is utilized, but the current evidence suggests when optimally chosen and delivered, peripheral nerve blocks may provide a safe, effective option for perioperative analgesia. Determining optimal analgesic regimens for total knee arthroplasty is critical to improve postoperative pain, patient satisfaction, decreasing opioid usage, recovery times and functional outcomes, and as such, peripheral nerve blocks may represent a viable option to supplement analgesic requirements in the perioperative period.