Comparative Effects of Spinal Anesthesia and Combined Spinal with Peripheral Nerve Blocks on Postoperative Outcomes in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of spinal anesthesia (SA) alone versus combined spinal anesthesia with adductor canal block (ACB) and sciatic nerve block (SNB) (SA + ACB + SNB) in patients undergoing arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. We hypothesized that SA + ACB + SNB would provide better analgesia, greater patient satisfaction, and shorter postanesthesia recovery times than SA alone. Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 patients aged 15-49 years scheduled for elective arthroscopic ACL reconstruction. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either SA or SA + ACB + SNB. Postoperative pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 4, 12, and 24 h post-operation. General health was evaluated using the 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12) at 1 month postoperatively. Range of motion and analgesic consumption were also recorded. Results: The median VAS score at 4 h post-operation was significantly lower in the SA + ACB + SNB group compared to the SA group (0 [IQR: 0-1] vs. 2 [IQR: 1-3], p = 0.0137). No significant differences in VAS scores were found at 12 h (p = 0.9282) and 24 h (p = 0.5809). PCS-12 and MCS-12 scores did not differ significantly between groups. The SA group had a lower postoperative range of motion (ROM) compared to the SA + ACB + SNB group, with a mean active ROM of 40.67 degrees (±23.52) versus 72.17 degrees (±24.69), respectively (p < 0.0001). Analgesic consumption was similar, with 53.33% of participants in each group using postoperative analgesics (p = 1.0). The mean surgery duration was 74.6 min. The gender distribution was 83% male and 17% female, with an average age of 27.7 years. Conclusions: Adding ACB and SNB to spinal anesthesia improved immediate postoperative pain relief and preserved range of motion in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction, suggesting potential clinical benefits in pain management and functional recovery.