Regional blocks in orthopaedics

Effective postoperative pain management plays a significant role in decreasing hospital stay and has a positive effect on functional recovery and patient satisfaction. Orthopaedic surgery is an expanding surgical specialty with a potentially difficult patient population. Regional anaesthesia is becoming increasingly popular as it offers several advantages over general anaesthesia. The aim of analgesic protocols is not only to reduce pain intensity but also to decrease the incidence of side effects from analgesic agents and to improve patient comfort. Moreover, adequate pain control is a prerequisite for rehabilitation programmes to accelerate functional recovery and may have economic benefits. Recently there has been resurgence in the use of regional anaesthesia with advanced techniques for nerve localization and visualization of needle and local anaesthetic spread. The use of peripheral nerve blocks has been associated with earlier discharge in ambulatory orthopaedic surgery when compared to general anaesthesia and neuraxial blockade.