Bupivacaine Femoral nerve palsy after femoral [i] nerve block: 2 case reports

General anaesthesia was induced 1n 27 patients undergoing arthroscopy who then received 10ml of bupivacaine 0.5% injected through a 21-gauge Gillette hypodermic needle after location of the femoral nerve with a nerve stimulator.

Two patients developed a 'prolonged complete femoral nerve palsy' with quadriceps paralysis and anaesthesia over the anterior thigh. Both received physiotherapy and recovered within 10 days.

'The most likely cause of such a prolonged block was Intraneural injection of the local anaesthetic, or possibly direct damage to the nerve with the needle.'

Frerk CM Anaesthesia 43 167·168. Feb 1988 ,.,.

6 REACTIONS' 21 May 1988 0157-7271/88/0521-0006/0$01.00/0 © ADIS Press