Conditions: Fracture of Foot
Keywords: Sciatic Nerve Block Continuous Nerve Block
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 17
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to compare the incidence of postoperative symptoms of neurologic injury after a single shot infragluteal-parabiceps sciatic nerve block versus a continuous infragluteal-parabiceps sciatic nerve catheter.

Detailed description:
There are a limited number of prospective studies in the literature examining the risk of neurologic injury and symptoms after sciatic nerve blocks. The incidence of transient neurological symptoms after a continuous catheter is not well reported.

Arms:
arm 1: Single shot sciatic nerve blocks will be performed by resident trainees supervised by faculty. Bupivacaine 0.625% with epinephrine 1:300,000 will be injected incrementally in 3-ml aliquots to a total volume of 0.4 ml/kg (minimum, 20 ml; maximum, 35 ml). arm 2: Continuous sciatic nerve block catheters will be performed using an insulated needle connected to the negative lead of a constant current nerve stimulator. The catheter will be advanced under ultrasound guidance. A test dose of 1.5% lidocaine with epinephrine will be injected to confirm catheter placement. All subjects will receive a portable pump that will infuse 0.2% ropivacaine 5 ml/hr with a 5 ml bolus/hr. The subjects will follow standard protocol discharge instructions in regards to removing the catheter themselves.

Interventions: intervention 1: Bupivacaine intervention 2: Ropivacaine
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Bupivacaine 0.625% with epinephrine 1:300,000 intervention 2: 0.2% ropivacaine 5 ml/hr with a 5 ml bolus/hr.

Protocol document: