Abstract Peripheral nerve blocks can provide high-quality anesthesia and analgesia after unilateral lower-extremity surgery. Lower-extremity nerve blocks, though underused, have significant advantages to central neuraxial techniques, especially in the ambulatory setting. Femoral nerve blocks are easy to perform, have few side effects, and a low incidence of complications. Despite these advantages, thorough knowledge of the pertinent anatomy is required to consistently perform these blocks successfully. This article reviews relevant femoral nerve anatomy. Techniques for single injection, as well as continuous blockade of the femoral nerve, are discussed. Also considered in this article is the efficacy of femoral nerve blocks and some of the shown improvements in patient outcome. This review also focuses on improved catheter technology and the accessibility of novel disposable infusion pumps that have enabled the use of continuous femoral nerve blocks on a larger scale. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.