Evaluating Femoral-Sciatic Nerve Blocks, Epidural Analgesia, and No Use of Regional Analgesia in Dogs Undergoing Tibia-Plateau-Leveling-Osteotomy

This is a retrospective study evaluating femoral-sciatic nerve blocks (FSBs), epidural analgesia, and non-regional analgesia (NRA) in dogs undergoing tibia-plateau-leveling-osteotomy surgery. Thirty-five records met the criteria for each of the FSB and epidural analgesia groups. Seventeen anesthesia records met the criteria for the NRA or control group. The parameters reported were: isoflurane vaporizer setting, rescue analgesia/anesthesia drugs received, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and recovery quality (0-4, with 0 being poor and 4 being good). Rescue analgesia-anesthesia during surgery was performed with either fentanyl, ketamine, or propofol.

A larger percentage of dogs in the NRA group required rescue analgesia during surgery. The FSB group had a higher recovery quality with median (95% confidence interval of four (±0.3) when compared to two (±0.8) in NRA (p < 0.01). No difference between groups was observed on any other parameter reported.

As part of a multimodal analgesia approach for tibia-plateau-leveling-osteotomy surgery, the use of femoral and sciatic nerves blocks with bupivacaine appears to be an alternative technique to help with analgesia and anesthesia during surgery.