• Alain Borgeat and Georgios Ekatodramis.
• Department of Anesthesia, Orthopedic University Clinic Zurich/Balgrist, Zurich, Switzerland. aborgeat@balgrist.unizh.ch
• Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2002 Oct 1;15(5):537-42.

Purpose Of ReviewIn recent years there has been a renewed interest in regional anesthesia, particularly peripheral nerve blockade, in order not only to improve the patient's well being, but also to meet the requirements of modern orthopedic surgery. These requirements include appropriate conditions to perform early and efficient rehabilitation.Recent FindingsThe upper extremity is well designed for the practice of the perineural catheter technique, since we have three main approaches, interscalene, infraclavicular and axillary, which allow all territories involved in specific surgical procedures to be blocked with only one shot or catheter. Recent developments have focused on modification of traditional technical approaches, improving the safety of the procedure, finding a more efficient way to administer the local anesthetic through the perineural catheter, and examining new indications and modes of performing regional anesthesia.SummaryEarly rehabilitation is currently a key point for the success of orthopedic surgery. The rapid development of peripheral nerve blockade gives the anesthesiologist the means to face this new challenge.

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