Ultrasound-guided Femorosciatic Nerve Block by Orthopaedist for Ankle Fracture Operation

Kang, Chan; Hwang, Deuk Soo; Kim, Young Mo; Kim, Pil Sung; Jun, You Sun; Hwang, Jung Mo; Han, Sun Cheol

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to investigate the usefulness of ultrasound-guided femorosciatic nerve block by orthopaedist to operate the fracture around ankle.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-two patients, who had an operation for fracture around the ankle under a ultrasound-guided femorosciatic nerve block from January to April 2010, were the targets of this study. We measured the time spent for the ultrasound-guided femorosciatic nerve block, the time taken to start the operation after the nerve block, the time taken to deflate the tourniquet because of a tourniquet pain, the time passed until feeling a postoperative pain after the operation, etc. We also studied the complications and satisfaction of the anesthesia.
RESULTS
It took 6.2 (3 to 12) minutes for the nerve block, 46.1 (28 to 75) minutes to start the operation, 52.5 (22 to 78) minutes until feeling a tourniquet pain and 11.5 (7.5 to 19) hours until starting to feeing a postoperative pain. There was no complication by anesthesia and 21 people (95.5%) were satisfied with anesthesia by ultrasound-guided femorosciatic nerve block.
CONCLUSION
Ultrasound-guided femorosciatic nerve block by orthopaedist in the fracture around ankle reduces anesthetic and nerve injury complication, and leads to high anesthetic success rate. Also it is considered as an effective method to alleviate postoperative pain.