Liposomal Bupivacaine vs Peripheral Nerve Block

Liposomal bupivacaine has gained interest in recent literature for its potential to be an effective adjunct to other pain control modalities in a multi-modal approach to post-operative pain control. Liposomal bupivacaine is an analgesic that is suspended in lipids to allow for gradual release of the analgesic over a 72-hour period (NAMDARI). From prior literature, the utilization of local analgesics infiltrated into surgical sites have been shown to reduce pain in the immediate post-operative period in foot and ankle surgery (GADEK). However, the evaluation of liposomal bupivacaine in foot and ankle surgery is limited. One prospective study found that the addition to liposomal bupivacaine to a multi-modal pain management protocol for forefoot surgery resulted in decreased pain scores during the first four post-operative days as well as fewer refills of opioid pain medication prescriptions, although both findings were not statically significant (ROBBINS). As the general medical community and public policy makers continue to focus on decreasing the amount of opioid pain medications prescribed and available in the community due to the opioid epidemic, liposomal bupivacaine has the potential to be a useful adjunct in the management of post-operative pain without reliance on opioid prescriptions. The goal of this investigation is to compare the efficacy of local administration of liposomal bupivacaine versus the efficacy of a peripheral nerve block in terms of post-operative pain scores after elective ankle and hindfoot surgery. The investigators hypothesize that there will not be a significant difference in the pain scores of these two groups in opioid naïve patients. Furthermore, this study aims to determine if there are differences in the amount of opioid medications utilized for post-operative pain control, patient satisfaction scores, functional outcomes, complications, and unscheduled healthcare contact between the two groups. In order to accomplish these aims, a randomized, controlled investigation will be conducted.