Ultrasound-guided lateral mid-femoral sciatic nerve block: Ultrasound-guided sciatic nerve subparaneural sheath block via the lateral mid-femoral approach. Under combined ultrasound and nerve stimulator guidance, a single injection of 20 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine hydrochloride will be administered into the paraneural sheath at the mid-femoral level
Ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block: Ultrasound-guided sciatic nerve subparaneural sheath block via the conventional popliteal approach. Under combined ultrasound and nerve stimulator guidance, a single injection of 20 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine hydrochloride will be administered into the paraneural sheath at the popliteal fossa (prior to nerve bifurcation).
Study summary
This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial aiming to evaluate the feasibility and safety of ultrasound-guided mid-femoral lateral approach sciatic nerve paraneural sheath block, in order to provide a new sciatic nerve block approach for clinical practice that offers greater patient comfort and higher precision, thereby facilitating its use for specific patient populations and less experienced operators.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Patients scheduled for elective unilateral surgery below the knee (e.g., internal fixation for ankle, metatarsal, or calcaneal fractures; hallux valgus correction; flatfoot reconstruction).
2. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class I or II.
3. Aged 18 to 65 years.
4. Ability to understand the study procedure and provide written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Contraindications to peripheral nerve block:
* Known allergy or history of toxicity to local anesthetics.
* Pre-existing neuropathy in the operative limb.
* Severe coagulopathy.
* Infection at the intended needle puncture site.
* Systemic infection.
2. Requirement for simultaneous surgery at a site other than the unilateral lower limb below the knee.
3. Previous surgery or significant scarring in the area of the planned needle insertion for the sciatic nerve block.
4. Body mass index (BMI) \> 35 kg/m².
5. Patients receiving chronic pain therapy or with a history of opioid abuse.
6. Inability to communicate or cooperate with the study assessments (e.g., due to cognitive impairment, language barrier, or psychiatric disorder).
7. Pregnancy or lactation.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Rate of complete sensory blockade in the sciatic nerve distribution at 30 minutes after block completion — At 30 minutes after completion of the local anesthetic injection. The proportion of patients achieving complete sensory blockade (Grade III: numbness, no sensation to pinprick) in the tibial and common peroneal nerve distributions at 30 minutes following the administration of the local anesthetic. Sensory blockade will be assessed using von Frey filaments and compared to the contralateral limb.
Trial sites (1)
Facility
City
Region
Status
General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University
Yinchuan
Ningxia
More General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University trials in China
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
We use cookies to analyse site traffic and improve your experience. With your consent, we may also use cookies for advertising. You can change your choice at any time on our Cookie Policy page. See also our Privacy Policy.