Iliopsoas Plane Block vs PENG Block for Hip Arthroplasty

Overview

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 prosthesis. 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. Because of the increasing use of ultrasound (US) in anesthesia practice, US-guided nerve blocks are widely used. Pericapsular nerve group block (PENG block) is a novel fascial block defined by Arango et al. This block aims to block the femoral nerve and the accessory obturator nerve by injecting local anesthetic between the pubic ramus and the psoas tendon. 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. This prospective study compares the efficacy of PENG block and IPB for postoperative analgesia management in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty with a prosthesis.

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.