Application of ultrasound-guided catheter blockade with continuous neuroelectrostimulation for analgesia after total knee arthroplasty

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasound-guided neuroelectrostimulating continuous catheter blockade (U-NCCB) for analgesia after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The study included 90 patients who were classified into grades I-III according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) system and subjected to unilateral TKA; the patients were randomly assigned to groups I-III-control, ultrasound-guided conventional catheter, and U-NCCB groups, respectively (n = 30, each). The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, adverse events, and overall patient satisfaction with analgesic therapy were recorded at different postoperative time points. Patients in groups II and III exhibited significantly lower resting and passive VAS scores at all postoperative time points than those in group I (P < 0.05). Group III exhibited significantly lower VAS scores at 4, 8, and 12 h postoperation than group II (P < 0.05). The overall satisfaction rates of groups II (75%) and III (95%) were significantly higher compared to that of group I (10%; P < 0.01), and the overall satisfaction rate of group III was significantly higher compared to that of group II (P < 0.05). Application of an electrostimulating catheter under the dual guidance of a nerve stimulator and ultrasound can effectively improve post-TKA analgesia and patient satisfaction.