Which anesthesia gets you home faster after knee surgery?
NCT ID NCT07672301
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares general anesthesia (given through an IV) with spinal anesthesia (a numbing shot in the back) for people having a knee replacement. The goal is to see which approach allows more patients to go home the same day. Researchers will also track recovery, pain, nausea, and thinking skills after surgery. About 150 adults are being enrolled.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- propofol, dexmedetomidine, fentanyl, hydromorphone, mepivacaine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help doctors choose the best anesthesia for faster recovery and same-day discharge after knee replacement.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase study with only 150 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The main goal is comparing discharge rates, not curing disease.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged ≥18 years. * Scheduled to undergo elective primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or robotic total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at the University of Chicago. * Eligible for same-day discharge (SDD) based on established orthopedic and anesthesia criteria. * Able to provide written informed consent. * The ability to comprehend and complete cognitive assessment surveys and questionnaires. * Consent to receive either Total IntraVenous Anesthesia (TIVA) or Spinal-block Anesthesia in a randomized manner * No contraindication to either TIVA or spinal anesthesia Exclusion Criteria: * Age \<18 years. * Patients undergoing revision TKA or procedures other than elective primary TKA. * Ineligibility for same-day discharge as determined by the surgical or anesthesia team. * Contraindications to either anesthetic technique (e.g., spinal block anesthesia contraindicated due to coagulopathy, infection at puncture site, or patient refusal). * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to study-related medications. * Significant pre-existing cognitive impairment or dementia that would preclude valid participation in Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), and 3-Minute Diagnostic Assessment for Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM) assessments. * Severe chronic pain syndromes (e.g., fibromyalgia, centrally mediated pain disorders) that could confound perioperative pain assessment. * Body mass index (BMI) \> 40. * Prisoners or other vulnerable populations unable to provide voluntary consent. * Unable to give appropriate consent or difficult to comprehend and complete cognitive assessment surveys and questionnaires
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Chicago Medical Center
RECRUITINGChicago, Illinois, 60637, United States
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