SIMBA—A Single-Puncture Approach to Lower Limb Block

Abstract

Peripheral nerve blocks provide a safe and reliable alternative in the anesthetic management of femur fractures in elderly subpopulations associated with significant comorbidities. Single-Insertion Multiple Nerve Block Anesthesia (SIMBA) is a technique where a single needle insertion is used to block all four nerves that supply the femur shaft: the femoral nerve, obturator nerve, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, and sciatic nerve. The authors performed this technique in 11 cardiac compromised geriatric patients with midshaft/distal femur fractures, and the surgery was conducted successfully without any significant hemodynamic change and good postoperative analgesia.