Knee replacement patients may use fewer opioids with new pain block
NCT ID NCT03747146
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two ways to manage pain after total knee replacement: a single-shot nerve block versus a continuous nerve block using a small catheter. About 94 adults having knee surgery will be randomly assigned to one method. The goal is to see which approach reduces opioid painkiller use and improves recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- continuous adductor canal catheter with saline
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that a continuous nerve block provides better pain relief and reduces opioid use after knee replacement surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 94 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The intervention is a device and saline, not a new drug, so the impact is limited to pain management.
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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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 94 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2018
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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 to 65 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: * Patients with osteoarthritis scheduled for a primary total knee arthroplasty with a participating surgeon * Planned use of regional anesthesia * Ability to follow study protocol * English speaking (secondary outcomes include questionnaires validated in English only) * Lives within one hour of the hospital * Has a smart phone Exclusion Criteria: * Hepatic or renal insufficiency * Younger than 18 years old or older than 65 years ol * Patients undergoing general anesthesia * Allergy or intolerance to one of the study medications * BMI \>40 * Diabetes * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status III or IV * Chronic gabapentin/pregabalin use (regular use for longer than 3 months) * Patients with chronic pain (from a referral to chronic pain service) or a pain catastrophizing scale (PCS \>30) * Patients with severe valgus deformity or flexion contracture * Patients unable to follow home catheter instructions and unwilling to go home with an infusing catheter * Patients who have no home caregivers in the event that a catheter is to be sent home with the patient * Patients with planned stay at rehab facility (to avoid medical device being tampered with at the rehab facility) * Non-English speakers (secondary outcomes include questionnaires validated in English only)
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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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Hospital for Special Surgery
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10023, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Which monitor reads a Child's pain best during surgery?