Kolomachenko V. Popliteal blockade in regional anaesthesia for orthopaedic surgery

Anatomical investigations validated an original modification of posterior popliteal approach for sciatic blockade and proved its advantages over traditional approaches. Clinical investigations demonstrated the efficacy of infrared ther-mometry as a predictor of successful blockade, effective anaesthesia of both tibial and common peroneal nerves, irrespec-tive of the motor response, equally rapid onset of sensory and sympathetic block with both 1% lidocaine and 0.5% ropivacaine, slower onset of motor block and the longest duration of all components of anaesthesia with 0.5% ropiva-caine. Plasma levels of lidocaine after its 800 mg dose with added epinephrine (1:200,000) did not reach 5 µg/ml, the time to peak level was 20 to 60 minutes.