Local or Spinal Anesthesia in Acute Knee Surgery

The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy, safety and complications of two anesthetic techniques including local and spinal anesthesia. A total of 436 patients received local (LA group=250) or spinal (SA group=186) anesthesia during a year period. SA group received 0.5% Bupivacaine 5 mg/mL. LA group received portal injection (5 mL lidocaine 2% with adrenaline) and intra-articular injection into the knee (10 mL lidocaine 2% with adrenaline). The following parameters were assessed: intraoperative pain (10 cm VAS: 0=no pain, 10=extreme pain), surgical operating conditions, patient satisfaction score (1=very satisfied, 4=very unsatisfied), postoperative analgesia, and time to discharge. In LA group, 97.6% (244/250) of patients experienced no pain throughout the procedure. Only six (2.4%) patients required conversion to general anesthesia. In SA group, two patients required conversion to general anesthesia. In both groups, 93.6% of patients were either satisfied or very satisfied with their anesthesia. The need of postoperative analgesics was higher in SA compared with LA group (p=0.001). The mean postoperative stay was significantly shorter in LA than in SA group (p=0.001). Ninety-four percent of LA and only 68% of SA patients were discharged from the hospital within 2 hours of the procedure. The rate of complications differed significantly between LA and SA groups (p=0.037). Outpatient arthroscopy of the knee under local anesthesia is a simple, reliable, and safe alternative to spinal anesthesia, for patients in whom intraarticular disorders requiring diagnostic arthroscopy and arthroscopic surgery.