A pilot study of the use of peripheral nerve block in forefoot surgery

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A pilot study comparing the effectiveness of peripheral nerve block in forefoot surgery for post-operative pain relief when administered at the beginning rather than at the end of surgery.

• IRAS ID

  77472

• Sponsor organisation

  The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

• Eudract number

  2011-002935-24

• ISRCTN Number

  No number provided

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  No number provided

• Research summary

  A Pilot Study comparing the effectiveness of peripheral nerve block in forefoot surgery for post-operative pain relief when administered at the beginning rather than at the end of surgery.BackgroundThe use of peripheral nerve block for foot and ankle surgery is an increasingly widely used method of managing post-operative pain. Following systemic review of available research, we conclude that there is no prospective randomised trial comparing the timing of administration of peripheral nerve block and its relation to its effectiveness. Acquiring information about the most effective time to administer the peripheral nerve block to achieve optimal pain relieve after forefoot surgery will increase patient satisfaction, reduce peri-operative analgesic requirements and side effects, and reduce the length of hospital stay.AimTo compare the effectiveness of peripheral nerve block in forefoot surgery,when administered at the beginning rather than at the end of surgery.Study designAll patients undergoing forefoot surgery performed by Mr Watson at The Princess Alexandra Hospital from July-September 2011 will be invited to take part in the study. The first forty patients will be selected and randomly allocated into the two groups of twenty depending on whether the peripheral block is administered at the beginning rather than at the end of surgery. The randomisation will be done by putting the patients hospital numbers in sealed opaque envelopes which will be randomly allocated into one of the two groups. The study will be single blinded as the surgeon will find out prior to the operation which group the patient is in, however the patients' will not be told which group they have been allocated to. Patients' pain score will be assessed using the visual analogue scale at 2 hours and 6 hours after surgery. The trust will sponsor the study.

• REC name

  London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  11/LO/1068

• Date of REC Opinion

  31 Aug 2011

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion