FEMORAL NERVE BLOCK AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PARENTERAL NARCOTICS FOR PAIN CONTROL AFTER ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is associated with sig nificant postoperative pain, usually requiring parenteral narcotics. A prospective study of arthroscopically assisted autograft patellar ten don ACLR was initiated using Winnie's ''three-in-one'' femoral nerve b lock (FNB) as the primary means of postoperative pain control. Patient satisfaction and absence of parenteral narcotic use indicated clinica l success, Of 24 patients studied, 92% had no parenteral narcotics adm inistered following FNB, Ninety-five percent of patients believed FNB was beneficial and would request another. The average duration of pain control was 29 hours and the majority of patients (79%) believed disc harge was possible within 23 hours. There were two patients who failed to respond to FNBs (8%) and no major complications, FNB is a safe, re liable, and effective form of analgesia following ACLR, eliminating th e need for parenteral narcotics.