Date of this Version

12-6-2022

Document Type

DNP Project

Abstract

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common surgery performed in the United States. It is effective in treating end-stage arthritis and improving quality of life; however, it is associated with significant postoperative pain. Adequate pain management in the postoperative period can be challenging for anesthesia providers. Recently, the infiltration of local anesthetic into the interspace between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the knee, known as the IPACK block, has gained increasing popularity as a promising peripheral nerve block (PNB) for TKA patients. Despite evidence of the efficacy of the IPACK block in TKA patients, it is not widely utilized among anesthesia providers. This quality improvement project assessed whether anesthesia providers would benefit from an educational module on the utilization of the IPACK block technique to decrease postoperative pain and opioid consumption in TKA patients. After receiving consent, eight anesthesia providers participated in this project. Participation involved a pretest, an online educational module, and a posttest. Results suggested that the educational module increased provider knowledge regarding the TKA patient population, regional techniques for TKA, how to perform the IPACK block, and the benefits of utilizing the IPACK block in TKA patients.

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