A new technique for hamstring donor site blockade in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Harvesting of the hamstrings for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction can be a significant cause of postoperative pain along the course of the stripped tendons. This can be attenuated via direct infusion of local anaesthesia.1 We have devised a technique for administering local anaesthetic along the hamstring graft harvest tract. A Kendall Argyle™ (Covidien LP, Gosport, UK) suction catheter is trimmed to length and stabilised with a femoral tunnel depth gauge (Fig 1). This device is inserted along the course of the harvested hamstring tendons; the depth gauge is removed. We inject 62.5mg of bupivacaine made up to a total volume of 50ml with normal saline 0.9% as the catheter is withdrawn. This is given as a single bolus with no subsequent top-up. Figure 1 A Kendall Argyle™ suction catheter trimmed to length and stabilised with a femoral tunnel depth gauge