Single-shot perineural femoral nerve block and falls after lower limb orthopaedic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Pooled result · FallsResult — go to the resultRelative risk 3.62 95% CI 1.83–7.19Authors' conclusion
Compared with techniques that avoid femoral nerve inhibition, there is moderate-quality evidence that sFNB increases fall risk and very-low-quality evidence that sFNB increases buckling and near-fall risk in the early convalescent phase.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing lower limb orthopaedic surgery31 trials
- Comparison
- Single-shot femoral nerve block vs no sFNB
- Outcome
- Falls (early postoperative)
Methodological detailsGRADE evidence certainty, prospectively registered
- GRADE evidence certainty
- Prospectively registered
Pooled result
Falls
Relative risk
3.62
95% CI 1.83–7.19
P = 0.0002
sFNB vs Non-recipients
RR 3.62 (95% CI 1.83–7.19); P = 0.0002
As reported in the abstract
Further pooled results
| Outcome | RR | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Falls: sFNB vs all non-motor block techniques combined (adductor canal/iliopsoas plane block and local anaesthetic infiltration) | 2.75 | P = 0.02 |
| Falls: sFNB vs neuraxial blockade | 6.35 | P = 0.03 |
| Falls: sFNB vs systemic analgesia | 6.43 | P = 0.03 |
| BucklingFive studies · very-low-quality evidence | 5.95 | |
| Near-fallsFour studies · very-low-quality evidence | 4.56 |
Original publication
Single-shot perineural femoral nerve block and falls after lower limb orthopaedic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. Published 1 January 2026. doi:10.
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