Lumbar plexus block (LPB) in combination with sciatic nerve block (SNB) is a good alternative technique to general and neuroaxial anaesthesia providing intraoperative anaesthesia and postoperative analgesia in lower extremity operations. Severe complications associated with LPB mainly include systemic local anaesthetic toxicity, epidural spread of the local anaesthetic, total spinal block and retroperitoneal haematoma (1). Apart from these reported complications, femoral nerve injury (FNI) following LPB is a rarely encountered but clinically important complication (2).In this current case, we report on an FNI following a combined LPB and SNB for treatment of a patellar fracture.
CASE PRESENTATIONA 44-year-old American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) male patient, 175 cm tall and weighing 65 kg, was scheduled for an open reduction and internal fixation of a patellar fracture under combined LPB and SNB. A general physical examination and laboratory tests did not reveal any abnormalities. After informing the patient, the standard institutional written consent was obtained. Monitoring of cardiopulmonary parameters was performed. Midazolam (1 mg) and fentanyl (0.05 mg) were administered intravenously (iv) for sedation following the placement of a venous line. Afterwards, the patient was positioned in the lateral decubitus position with the side to be