Efficacy of an AFCN Proxy Block in Post-TKA Multimodal Pain Management

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the additive effect of Supra-Sartorial Subcutaneous Infiltration (SSSI) when performed in combination with intermittent adductor canal block (iACB) and posterior capsule local infiltration analgesia (PC-LIA) for pain management after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). SSSI, an easy-to-perform tentative proxy block to targeted anterior femoral cutaneous nerve (AFCN) block, is tested in 90 adults (45-90 years) randomized into two arms: active SSSI versus sham SSSI. Primary outcome is pain scores at rest and during movement on postoperative day 0; secondary outcomes include daily pain trajectory at rest and during movement, functional recovery scores, rescue analgesic doses over days 0-3, and quality of recovery assessment on day 4.