An infrapatellar nerve block reduces knee pain in patients with chronic anterior knee pain after tibial nailing: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 34 patients

Pradipta Bhakta,Habib Md Reazaul Karim,Brian O’Brien,Michelle Claudio Vassallo,Mandala S Leliveld,Saskia J M Kamphuis,Michael H J Verhofstad

doi:10.1080/17453674.2019.1640413

Abstract

Background and purpose — Anterior knee pain is common after tibial nailing. Its origin is poorly understood. Injury of the infrapatellar nerve is a possible cause. In this randomized controlled tri...

Highlights

Sir,We congratulate Leliveld and colleagues on their report (2019) of a randomized controlled trial of lidocaine as a therapeutic intervention for post-operative chronic pain following tibial nailing, and of highlighting this problematic complication
Pain that persists years after surgery is clearly difficult to treat, and the possibility that a drug as inexpensive, and readily available, as lidocaine may attenuate it is in many respects an exciting one
While the authors hypothesise that nerve injury was caused by incision at the inferomedical aspect of the knee joint, they identified sensory abnormalities of the inferolateral side

Summary

Introduction

An infrapatellar nerve block reduces knee pain in patients with chronic anterior knee pain after tibial nailing: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 34 patients Sir,—We congratulate Leliveld and colleagues on their report (2019) of a randomized controlled trial of lidocaine as a therapeutic intervention for post-operative chronic pain following tibial nailing, and of highlighting this problematic complication. The sensory innervation of the knee is complex and variable (Bademkiran et al 2007, Kerver et al 2013).

Results

Conclusion