Local Anaesthesia vs. Brachial Plexus Block in Thumb Joint Surgery
Author Information
Author(s): Maximilian Moshammer, Sebastian Martin Klim, Reingard Glehr, Georg Hauer, Andrzej Hecker, Andreas Leithner, Mathias Glehr
Primary Institution: Medical University of Graz
Hypothesis
Local anaesthesia is equivalent to brachial plexus block in terms of pain reduction, intraoperative anxiety, functional outcomes, and overall satisfaction.
Conclusion
Local anaesthesia is a practical and reliable alternative to brachial plexus block for total trapeziometacarpal joint arthroplasty, reducing costs and hospital stay duration.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients reported no significant differences in functional outcomes between the two anaesthetic methods.
- Local anaesthesia resulted in lower operation and setup times compared to brachial plexus block.
- Patients experienced higher intraoperative anxiety with local anaesthesia.
Takeaway
Doctors compared two ways to numb the hand during surgery. They found that one way is just as good as the other, but some people felt more anxious with one method.
Methodology
This was a single-center cohort study comparing local anaesthesia and brachial plexus block in 32 patients undergoing total trapeziometacarpal joint arthroplasty.
Potential Biases
Patients could choose their anaesthetic method, which may introduce selection bias.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size, lacked randomization, and included a retrospective design.
Participant Demographics
The study included 32 patients, with a mean age of approximately 55 years, and a majority were women.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.045 for intraoperative anxiety, p=0.018 for operation length, p<0.001 for setup time
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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