Hip arthroplasty is one of the most common orthopedic procedures especially in elderly
patients due to deformation of joints. Patients may complain of severe pain due to
surgical trauma and the prosthesis. Opioid agents are commonly used for analgesia
management. However, opioids have adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, sedation, and
respiratory depression. Regional anesthesia methods may be performed to reduce opioid
consumption and opioid-related side effects. The hip joint consists of the femoral head
and the acetabulum. Sensory innervation of the hip joint is provided by the femoral
nerve, obturator nerve, articular branches of the sciatic nerve, and superior gluteal
nerve. Skin innervation of the lateral femur is supplied by the lateral cutaneous femoral
nerve. The upper anterior part of the thigh is innervated by the genitofemoral and
ilioinguinal nerves. These nerves originate from the lumbar and sacral plexus. The
innervation of the hip joint is complex, and the selection of the blocking technique is
essential after these operations.
Pericapsular nerve group block (PENG block) is a novel fascial block defined by Arango et
al. In this block, it is aimed blocking the femoral nerve and the accessory obturator
nerve by injecting local anesthetic between the pubic ramus and the psoas tendon. By
blocking these nerves, anterior hip analgesia is provided. It is a safe and effective
method as it is applied superficially and under ultrasound guidance. In radiological and
cadaver studies, it has been reported that total hip analgesia can be provided by
blocking the lateral femoral cutaneous, genitofemoral, obturator, and femoral nerves when
high volume is applied. Studies evaluating PENG block efficacy are limited in the
literature.
The iliopsoas plane block (IPB) is a new block defined by Nielsen et al. It does not
cause a motor block, but selectively blocks the sensory branches of the hip joint
originating from the accessory obturator nerve and the femoral nerve. There is a study
showing that it does not cause a motor block in healthy volunteers. Although there are
case series in the literature reporting that it provides hip joint analgesia, there is no
clinical study yet.
This prospective, randomized study aims to compare the efficacy of PENG block and IPB for
postoperative analgesia management in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty with a
prosthesis. Our primary aim is to compare postoperative opioid consumption, secondary aim
is to evaluate pain scores (Numerical Rating Scale-NRS), quadriceps motor block (paresis
or paralysis in knee extension), and side effects (allergic reaction, nausea, vomiting,
etc.) associated with opioid use.