Continuous infusion of ropivacaïne: an optimal postoperative analgesia regimen for iliac crest bone graft in children.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative analgesia of iliac crest (IC) donor site can be performed by on site infiltrations of local anesthetics (LA) or morphine. Single injections or continuous infusions of LA proved their efficacy in adults, but was not reported in children. We prospectively evaluated the interest of a continuous infusion of 0.2% ropivacaïne at the IC donor site in terms of postoperative pain relief and rescue analgesics consumption.

METHODS: Sixteen consecutive patients, aged from 4 to 16 years scheduled for maxillar alveolar graft with IC bone, were included. After IC bone graft surgery under general anesthesia, they received a 0.2-0.4 ml x kg(-1) bolus of 0.2% ropivacaïne through the IC catheter; then a continuous infusion of 0.2% ropivacaïne at 0.125 ml x kg(-1) x h(-1) was administrated for 48 h with disposable elastomeric pumps. Children systematically received paracetamol (15 mg x kg(-1) four times a day) and niflumic acid (40 mg x kg(-1) twice a day). Postoperative pain was evaluated using a Visual Analog Scale (>7 years old) or Children and Infants Postoperative Pain Score (between 4 and 7 years old) every 4 h until H48. Doses of rescue analgesics and adverse events (LA toxicity, catheter's removal, nausea-vomiting) were also noted. Three months after surgery a blinded clinical research assistant reviewed all children and assessed functional recovery, neuropathic chronic pain symptoms or local complications.

RESULTS: The median value of IC graft pain scores was 0 during whole studied period. Of the patients, 31.2% did not require any rescue analgesics and 43.8% needed only once. No adverse events related to LA and no removal of catheter were noted. One child had nausea in the 48-h postoperative period, and one child had neuropathic pain symptoms at 3 months at the donor site.

CONCLUSION: Continuous infusion of 0.2% ropivacaïne through an IC catheter is an optimal and safe technique of regional postoperative analgesia after bone graft harvest in children.