The evolution of anesthetic management for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients: A hospital network experience

Introduction: In the face of an ongoing opioid epidemic and an aging population, the utilization of a successful multimodal pain regimen in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is vital. This study looks to explore the effect of different types of anesthesia in addition to a multimodal pain regimen on post-operative outcomes after undergoing TKA. Materials and methods: From January 2016 to December 2022, 783 charts of patients undergoing an elective TKA were reviewed. Patients undergoing primary, isolated, and unilateral TKA procedures were included. Patients were grouped into three study arms: 1) general anesthesia (GA); 2) general anesthesia with a local anesthetic adductor canal block (GA + ACB); 3) spinal anesthesia with local anesthetic adductor canal block (SA + ACB). Patients who received other anesthesia types or received ACB utilizing liposomal bupivacaine were excluded. Results: Of the 420 included patients, 63 patients received GA, 148 GA + ACB, and 209 SA + ACB. Patients in the SA + ACB group had a shorter LOS compared to both the GA + ACB and GA groups (p < 0.01. The SA + ACB group had the lowest daily average OME requirement (p < 0.01). Finally, patients in the SA + ACB group had the lowest average total cost of $11,683.91 (p < 0.01). Discussion: Spinal anesthesia with adductor canal block is effective in decreasing opioid usage and improving postoperative outcomes after TKA. Surgeons and anesthesiologists should look to utilize this anesthetic option along with a multimodal regimen when deciding how to best manage postoperative pain after TKA procedures.