ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of ultrasound guided inter-scalene brachial plexus block and patient-controlled infraclavicular brachial plexus block for postoperative pain and surgical efficacy in patients with terrible tyriad of the elbow.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From March 2015 to August 2016, 60 patients with terrible tyriad of the elbows were treated in Ningbo No.6 Hospital with ASA I to II internal fixation. There were 32 males and 28 females, ranging in age from 16 to 70 years old, with a mean age of (55.6±18.2) years old. All the patients were divided into two groups(30 cases in each group): controlled intermuscular groove brachial plexus block (group C), infraclavicular brachial plexus block(group I). All catheters were placed using ultra-sound visualization and injected 0.33% ropivacaine 30 ml preoperatively. After regaining consciousness, all patients connected the electronic pump. The solution contained 0.2% ropiva-caine and the pump was setup to deliver a 5 ml bolus dose, with a 15 min lock out interval and background infusion at 5 ml/h. Both analgesia lasted until 5 d after operation. The patients underwent rehabilitation exercise everyday for 5 consecutive days starting from 24 h after operation.VAS score was recorded at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 4 d, 5 d after operation during rest and rehabilitation exercise time. The elbow articular range of motion and Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) were recorded at 6 d after operation. Catheter-related adversereactions (such as oozing from the insertion site, obstruction, prolapse) were recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The success rate of blockade was 100% during insertion in both groups. Compared with group C, the VAS score at 3 d during rest time and 3, 4, 5 d after operation during rehabili-tation exercise were decreased(2.5±0.5 vs. 3.8±1.1, 3.0±0.4 vs. 5.0±0.9, 2.5±0.4 vs. 4.5±1.2, 2.1±0.3 vs. 4.1±1.0,<0.05). The elbow articular range of motion and MEPS were increased(-2.19±18.01)° vs.(-8.19±12.16)°, (45.15±11.20)° vs. (22.15±7.02)°, (19.06±6.75)° vs. (9.10±2.48)°, (17.08±5.18)° vs. (10.12±3.15)°, (80.80±9.50) points vs. (64.90±11.21) points. The incidence of insertion site, obstruction, prolapse was 15, 5 and 10 cases respectively in group C, but without any catheter-related adverse reactions happened in group I (<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Patient-controlled infraclavieular brachial plexus block can be effectively used for postoperative pain after fixation for terrible tyriad of the elbows, and it can increase surgical outcome.</p>