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Postoperative PainANK-FNBNCT07910500

Anterior Nerves of the Knee Block Versus Femoral Nerve Block for Knee Arthroscopy

A study testing Anterior Nerves of the Knee (ANK) Block and Femoral Nerve Block in people with Postoperative Pain and Knee Arthroscopy, run by Van Training and Research Hospital at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Knee arthroscopy is one of the most common orthopedic procedures, and effective postoperative analgesia is essential for early mobilization and patient comfort. Femoral nerve block provides effective analgesia after knee surgery but can cause quadriceps weakness. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Postoperative Pain, Knee Arthroscopy, Analgesia
What is being tested?
Anterior Nerves of the Knee (ANK) Block and Femoral Nerve Block
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
70 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
19 Oct 2026to 15 Mar 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • -
  • Age 18 to 65 years
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II
  • Scheduled for elective knee arthroscopy
  • Surgery performed under spinal anesthesia
  • Written informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Refusal to participate
  • Allergy to local anesthetics or study analgesics
  • Infection at the block site
  • Coagulopathy or anticoagulant therapy
  • Pre-existing neurological deficit or motor weakness in the operated limb
  • Chronic pain or regular opioid use
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Inability to cooperate with pain assessment
  • Emergency surgery
  • Contraindication to spinal anesthesia
  • -

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site, 1 recruiting

  • University of Health Sciences, Van Training and Research Hospital

    Van

    Ömer Türk, MD, +90 506 979 41 95, omer_turk@hotmail.com

    Ömer Türk, MD

    Recruiting

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: Comparison of Anterior Nerves of the Knee (ANK) Block and Femoral Nerve Block on Intraoperative Hemodynamics and Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy in Patients Undergoing Knee Arthroscopy: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study

Knee arthroscopy is one of the most common orthopedic procedures, and effective postoperative analgesia is essential for early mobilization and patient comfort. Femoral nerve block provides effective analgesia after knee surgery but can cause quadriceps weakness. The anterior nerves of the knee (ANK) block is a recently described, motor-sparing fascial plane block targeting the sensory nerves of the anterior knee. This prospective, randomized, single-blind study compares ultrasound-guided ANK block with ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block in adult patients undergoing elective knee arthroscopy under spinal anesthesia, with respect to postoperative analgesic consumption, pain scores, intraoperative hemodynamics and time to first mobilization.

Read the detailed description

Adult patients (18-65 years, ASA I-II) scheduled for elective knee arthroscopy under spinal anesthesia will be randomized 1:1 using sealed opaque envelopes to receive either an ultrasound-guided ANK block or an ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block in the block room before surgery. Both blocks are performed with 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (10 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine diluted with 10 mL of 0.9% saline). Sensory and motor block (quadriceps strength, MRC scale) are assessed 20 minutes after the block. All patients then receive standard spinal anesthesia with 12.5 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine without adjuvants. Premedication is standardized (midazolam 1 mg and fentanyl 50 mcg IV). Identical dressings are applied to the groin and knee in all patients to maintain blinding.

Heart rate and blood pressure are recorded at baseline (before spinal anesthesia), skin incision, tourniquet inflation, tourniquet deflation and end of surgery. Postoperative analgesia consists of IV paracetamol and IV tramadol as rescue analgesia, administered by ward staff blinded to group allocation. Pain is assessed with a Visual Analog Scale (0-10) at rest and on movement at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours postoperatively by an assessor blinded to group allocation. The anesthesiologist performing the block is not blinded. Block-related complications (local anesthetic systemic toxicity, hematoma, infection, falls/knee buckling) are recorded.

Being tested
Anterior Nerves of the Knee (ANK) Block, Femoral Nerve Block
Keywords
anterior nerves of the knee block, femoral nerve block, regional anesthesia, ultrasound-guided nerve block, spinal anesthesia, ANK block
Medical subject headings
Pain, Postoperative, Agnosia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Anterior Nerves of the Knee (ANK) BlockProcedure or surgery

    Also called ANK block

    Ultrasound-guided anterior nerves of the knee (ANK) block performed in the block room before spinal anesthesia with 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (10 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine diluted with 10 mL of 0.9% saline).

  • Femoral Nerve BlockProcedure or surgery

    Ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block performed in the block room before spinal anesthesia with 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (10 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine diluted with 10 mL of 0.9% saline).

Study groups in NCT07910500
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ANK BlockExperimentalPatients receive an ultrasound-guided anterior nerves of the knee (ANK) block with 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine before spinal anesthesia for knee arthroscopy.
Receives: Procedure: Anterior Nerves of the Knee (ANK) Block
Femoral Nerve BlockActive comparatorPatients receive an ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block with 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine before spinal anesthesia for knee arthroscopy.
Receives: Procedure: Femoral Nerve Block

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Total Postoperative Tramadol Consumption

    Total amount of intravenous tramadol (mg) administered as rescue analgesia during the first 24 hours after the end of surgery.

    Measured: 24 hours after surgery

  2. Pain Score at Rest

    Pain intensity at rest assessed with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain) by an assessor blinded to group allocation.

    Measured: 0, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours after surgery

  3. Pain Score on Movement

    Pain intensity on movement assessed with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain) by an assessor blinded to group allocation.

    Measured: 0, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours after surgery

Secondary outcomes (7)

  1. Time to First Rescue Analgesic

    Time (minutes) from the end of surgery to the first administration of a rescue analgesic (tramadol or paracetamol, whichever is first). Patients who require no analgesic are censored at 24 hours.

    Measured: 24 hours after surgery

  2. Total Postoperative Paracetamol Consumption

    Total amount of intravenous paracetamol (mg) administered during the first 24 hours after the end of surgery.

    Measured: 24 hours after surgery

  3. Intraoperative Heart Rate

    Heart rate (beats/min) recorded at baseline (before spinal anesthesia), skin incision, tourniquet inflation, tourniquet deflation and end of surgery.

    Measured: From baseline (before spinal anesthesia) to the end of surgery

  4. Intraoperative Mean Arterial Pressure

    Mean arterial pressure (mmHg) recorded at baseline (before spinal anesthesia), skin incision, tourniquet inflation, tourniquet deflation and end of surgery.

    Measured: From baseline (before spinal anesthesia) to the end of surgery

  5. Time to First Mobilization

    Time (hours) from the end of surgery to the first safe ambulation.

    Measured: Up to 48 hours after surgery

  6. Quadriceps Muscle Strength

    Quadriceps muscle strength of the operated limb assessed with the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale from 0 (no contraction) to 5 (normal strength).

    Measured: 20 minutes after block

  7. Incidence of Block-Related Complications

    Number of participants with local anesthetic systemic toxicity, hematoma or infection at the injection site, or falls/knee buckling during mobilization.

    Measured: 24 hours after surgery

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted2 Nov 2026
  2. Study start19 Oct 2026
  3. Primary completion15 Mar 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion15 Mar 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
70 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07910500
Sponsor's protocol ID
2026/08-02
Acronym
ANK-FNB
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
26 Oct 2026
Last updated
2 Nov 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data will not be shared publicly. De-identified data may be made available by the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Publications

  • Chen B, Tan M, Li Q, Wang S, Chen D, Zhao M, Cao J. Application of ultrasound-guided single femoral triangle and adductor canal block in arthroscopic knee surgery: a prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical study. BMC Anesthesiol. 2024 May 23;24(1):182. doi: 10.1186/s12871-024-02555-0.

    PubMed 38783177

  • Balaban O, Isik R, Eman A, Karacan K, Nas K. Anterior nerves of the knee (ANK) block: A novel motor sparing fascial plane block for analgesia of the knee: Observational cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Dec 5;104(49):e46035. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000046035.

    PubMed 41366903

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Anterior Nerves of the Knee (ANK) Block and Femoral Nerve Block in people with Postoperative Pain and Knee Arthroscopy, run by Van Training and Research Hospital at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Total Postoperative Tramadol Consumption (time frame: 24 hours after surgery). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07910500, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Nov 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.

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