Urinary retention after total hip and knee arthroplasty.

Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) occurs after lower joint arthroplasty with an incidence between 0% and 75%. This vast range reflects the differences in diagnosis and management of POUR. At present, clinical practice includes either preoperative insertion of an indwelling catheter to be removed after 24-48 postoperative hours or postoperative intermittent in-and-out catheterization performed either at scheduled times (every 6-8 hours) or as necessary. Although the most effective approach remains an issue of debate, there is a growing consensus that postoperative intermittent catheterization guided by ultrasound could decrease the incidence of complications related to POUR. The purpose of the present article is to review the published data on the effects of analgesia techniques on the development of POUR after hip and knee arthroplasty. General and regional anesthesia are implicated in the etiology of POUR; however, type and duration do not correlate with its incidence. Of the different postoperative analgesic techniques currently used, continuous peripheral nerve block has the least impact on POUR.