Pericapsular nerve group block in hip arthroplasty: A prospective randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effect of the ultrasound-guided pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block in hip arthroplasty (HA) surgery.

DESIGN: A prospective double-blinded, randomized study.

SETTING: Tertiary institutional clinical care.

PARTICIPANTS: Fifty patients, more than 50 years old of both genders, were chosen according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, with physical status I-III, and scheduled for unilateral HA surgeries.

INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive either a sham PENG block with 20 mL of normal saline (control group) or a PENG block with 20 mL of bupivacaine 0.25 percent (PENG group).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: From the onset of the first request for rescue opioid analgesia, preoperative pain scores before and after block (at rest and with a raised straight leg), the incidence of quadriceps weakness after the block, intraoperative fentanyl consumption, post-operative pain scores, and morphine consumption, besides the presence and frequency of adverse events, were recorded.

RESULTS: The patients undergoing PENG block with bupivacaine had prolonged durations before the first analgesic request, lower perioperative pain scores, less intraoperative rescue fentanyl, and less post-operative morphine consumption than the control group, with nonsignificant motor weakness after the block and similar adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS: The PENG block provided effective perioperative analgesia for HA with prolonged duration of analgesia, nonsignificant motor effects, reduced perioperative opioids consumption, and no major side effects.