Objective To summarize the research progress of the analgesic effect of adductor canal block (ACB) applied to knee arthroplasty, in order to find the ACB mode that can obtain better effectiveness. MethodsThe research progress of the analgesic effect of ACB after knee arthroplasty was reviewed by widely consulting the related literature on ACB at home and abroad in recent years. Results In recent years, multimodal analgesia has become the mainstay of postoperative pain management after knee arthroplasty. Among these, ACB replaces the once “gold standard” femoral nerve block (FNB) by offering comparable and effective analgesia with better preservation of quadriceps function. It is generally safe and efficient to use 0.2% ropivacaine ACB with initial loading doses of 15-30 mL and continual loading doses of less than 8 mL/hour to give analgesia comparable to FNB with minimal impact on lower extremity muscular strength. However, the risk of patient falls must still be taken into consideration by medical staff. Adjuvants like dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone used in ACB can increase the analgesic duration and postoperative analgesic impact. As a perineural adjunct for ACB, 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine may strike a balance between safety and analgesic efficacy. Conclusion ACB is a safe and effective analgesia method after knee arthroplasty. The adductor canal anatomy, the optimum blocking strategy and blocking site of ACB are all hotly debated and still require additional study due to the significant variety of the nerve structures in adductor canal.