Which nerve block helps kids recover faster from knee surgery?
NCT ID NCT06590402
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two types of nerve blocks—anterior femoral cutaneous nerve block and adductor canal block—for children aged 8–18 having ACL or MPFL knee surgery. Sixty participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of the blocks along with standard pain care. Researchers will measure pain, opioid use, and leg strength after surgery to see which block leads to better recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Bupivacaine and dexamethasone (local anesthetic and corticosteroid)
- What this could lead to
- If one nerve block works better, it could lead to better pain control and faster recovery for children after knee surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to all children. The two blocks may work equally well, or one may have unexpected side effects.
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 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jan 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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8 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * 8-18 years old at the time of surgery * Patients 40kg and above * ACL reconstruction of MPFL reconstruction surgery with participating surgeons Exclusion Criteria: * revision surgery * bilateral surgery * general anesthesia * contraindications to any part of the study protocol * relevant pre-existing neurological deficit * chronic pain
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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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Hospital for Special Surgery
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10021, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Video game for the brain: could neurofeedback supercharge Post-Surgery recovery?
- New numbing technique may ease ACL surgery pain without extra opioids
- Scientists track hidden muscle delays after ACL repair