IJMABHR International Journal of Medical and All Body Health ResearchIJMABHR 2582-8940 Anfo Publication House 375 10.54660/IJMBHR.2025.6.3.134-140 Comparison of Bupivacaine and Ropivacaine for Postoperative Analgesia in Ultrasound-Guided Femoro-Sciatic Nerve Block in Patients Undergoing Below Knee Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial PatelShail Ashokbhai SharmaShailja VaidNikhil Jayshree Zubin JavedWamiq Post Graduate Resident, Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences, Pilkhuwa, Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, India Professor and HOD, Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences, Pilkhuwa, Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, India Assistant Professor, Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences, Pilkhuwa, Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, India 27072025 6 3 134 140 16062025 19072025 CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Below knee surgeries require effective postoperative pain management to optimize patient outcomes and facilitate early mobilization. This randomized, double-blind, controlled trial aimed to compare the efficacy of bupivacaine versus ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia in ultrasound-guided femoro-sciatic nerve block in patients undergoing below knee surgery. A total of 120 patients aged 18-70 years, ASA physical status I-III, scheduled for elective below knee surgeries were randomly allocated into two groups of 60 patients each: Group B received 0.5% bupivacaine 30 mL and Group R received 0.5% ropivacaine 30 mL for combined femoral and sciatic nerve blocks under ultrasound guidance. The primary outcome was duration of postoperative analgesia, defined as time to first rescue analgesic request. Secondary outcomes included onset time, block characteristics, pain scores using visual analog scale, total analgesic consumption, patient satisfaction, and adverse effects. The duration of postoperative analgesia was significantly longer in Group B compared to Group R (18.4 ± 3.2 hours vs 14.7 ± 2.8 hours, p

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