Postoperative Neuropathy following Fascia Iliaca Compartment Blockade

Abstract

THE fascia iliaca compartment block 1 has been used to provide postoperative analgesia after knee and hip surgery. 2-4 This nerve block may be performed before induction, during the course of anesthesia, or after emergence. The safety of performing regional anesthesia in an anesthetized adult patient has been questioned. It is essential that every effort be made to minimize the potential for nerve damage because the warning signs of paresthesia or pain are lost during injection. Use of a fascia iliaca compartment block rather than a traditional (three-in-one) femoral nerve block should provide an additional margin of safety because the needle is inserted in an area distant from the femoral nerve and vessels. We report a case in which a patient underwent a fascia iliaca compartment block at completion of surgery during spinal anesthesia and in which hypoesthesia subsequently developed, and resolved after 8 days, in the distribution of the femoral nerve.