Efficacy of spinal anaesthesia after bupivacaine alone and after adding clonidine in orthopaedic lower limb surgeries

Background: 0.5 % Bupivacaine is commonly used in spinal anaesthesia. Intrathecal clonidine is known as an adjuvant for improving duration of sensory and motor blockade. Objective: To study efficacy of spinal anaesthesia after addition of intrathecal clonidine in lower limb orthopaedic surgeries. Materials and method: A total of 80 patients, posted for lower limb orthopaedic surgeries were randomly allocated into 2 groups. In Group A & Group B patients, 3ml of bupivacaine 0.5% ( heavy) + 0.2 ml saline and 3ml of bupivacaine 0.5% (heavy ) + 30mcg clonidine injected intrathecally respectively. After injecting drug, following observations recorded- time of onset of sensory blockade (T10), maximum level of sensory blockade, time required to achieve maximum level of sensory blockade, time of onset of motor blockade, time taken for maximum motor blockade. Study groups were compared by chi-square test. Result: The results suggested that there was significant difference in onset of sensory and motor blockade and time required to achieve maximum sensory and motor blockade after addition of intrathecal clonidine as an adjuvant. Conclusion: Addition of intrathecal clonidine with hyperbaric bupivacaine as adjuvant, can result in reduction in time of onset of motor and sensory blockade in lower limb surgeries compared to 0.5% bupivacaine alone.