A Long Axis Approach to the Femoral Artery Block (FAB) for Managing Tourniquet Pain and Hypertension in Below-the-Knee Fracture Surgery

This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial evaluating an ultrasound-guided femoral artery block (FAB) using a long-axis in-plane approach compared with a short-axis approach and a control group. The study will include adult patients (ASA I-III) undergoing below-the-knee fracture surgery with tourniquet application. All patients will receive standardized anesthesia including sciatic nerve block and total intravenous anesthesia. Participants will be randomized into three groups: short-axis FAB, long-axis FAB, or control (saline injection). The primary aim is to assess the effectiveness of the long-axis FAB in reducing tourniquet-induced hypertension. Secondary outcomes include hemodynamic stability, analgesic requirements, pain scores, block characteristics, and procedural performance metrics.

NCT Number	NCT07548567
Lead Sponsor	National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Conditions	Tourniquet Hypertension
Enrollment	84 participants
Start Date	2026-06-03
Primary Completion	2027-10 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-02 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-07-06