Liposomal Bupivacaine for Pain Control After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized, Positive-Controlled Trial

Background:Local anesthetics are commonly administered into surgical sites as a part of multimodal pain control regimens. Liposomal bupivacaine is a novel formulation of bupivacaine designed for slow diffusion of a single dose of local anesthetic over a 72-hour period. While early results are promising in various settings, no studies have compared pain management regimens containing liposomal bupivacaine to traditional regimens in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.Purpose:To evaluate liposomal bupivacaine in comparison with 0.25% bupivacaine hydrochloride (HCl) for pain control after ACL reconstruction.Study Design:Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.Methods:A total of 32 adult patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction with a soft tissue quadriceps tendon autograft between July 2014 and March 2015 were enrolled. All patients received a femoral nerve block immediately before surgery. Patients then received either a 40-mL suspension of 20 mL Exparel (1 vi...