This study aims to compare the analgesic efficacy of surgeon-performed intraoperative adductor canal block (ACB) and ultrasound-guided anesthesiologist-performed ACB in patients undergoing bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In a prospective, randomized paired design, each patient will receive surgeon-performed ACB on one knee and anesthesiologist-performed ACB on the contralateral knee.
The primary outcome is postoperative pain measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the study is designed to evaluate the non-inferiority of surgeon-performed ACB. Secondary outcomes include opioid consumption, time to first ambulation, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
Additionally, postoperative ultrasound evaluation will be performed to assess the distribution pattern of local anesthetic within the adductor canal, including cross-sectional area and longitudinal spread. This study is expected to provide evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness and technical accuracy of surgeon-performed ACB in comparison with the conventional ultrasound-guided technique.