Knee surgery pain relief: does more numbing medicine mean less opioids?

This study tested whether using 20 mL of numbing medicine instead of 10 mL in a specific leg nerve block would reduce patients' need for opioid painkillers after total knee replacement surgery. 120 patients having knee replacement surgery were randomly assigned to receive one of the two doses, along with other standard pain treatments. Researchers measured how much opioid medication patients used in the first 24 hours after surgery, their pain levels, and their ability to walk and recover.