Postoperative analgesia in a patient with knee surgery – Use of a single puncture SOFT block

Abstract

Postoperative analgesia after knee surgeries requires multiple nerve blocks. A twenty nine year old ASA I female was posted for arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament repair. The procedure was done under spinal anaesthesia with 3ml of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine and 30µg of preservative free clonidine. At the end of the surgery which lasted for 140 minutes, a single puncture access to all the nerves (sciatic, femoral and obturator-SOFT block) was done just at the inguinal region using ultrasound guidance. The blockade of all the nerves was confirmed after the complete recovery of spinal anaesthesia in the other leg. The analgesia lasted for 15 hours after the spinal recovery. Complete recovery from block was ensured as the block was administered with spinal anaesthesia to rule out any form of nerve injury.