Comparison of the Efficacy of Pericapsular Nerve Group Block Alone Versus Pericapsular Nerve Group Block Combined With Superior Cluneal and Superior Gluteal Nerve Blocks in Patients Undergoing Hip Surgery

Overview

In the clinic, total hip arthroplasty is a frequently performed surgical procedure that often results in moderate to severe postoperative pain. Multimodal analgesia approaches are commonly preferred for managing this pain, and in recent years, nerve blocks targeting pelvic innervation have become increasingly prominent. Among these, the Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) block has gained attention for providing effective analgesia by targeting the nerves responsible for the anterior innervation of the hip capsule. However, when used alone, the PENG block may be insufficient for controlling posterior hip pain and may not provide complete analgesia. In this context, adding blocks targeting the superior cluneal nerve and the superior gluteal nerve-both of which contribute to the sensory innervation of the posterior hip region-has been proposed to enhance the analgesic effect when combined with the PENG block. Superior cluneal and superior gluteal nerve blocks have recently been described in anatomical and clinical studies, and by affecting the structures contributing sensory input to the posterior hip capsule, they hold significant potential for improving pain management. In this study, the investigators aimed to evaluate the contribution of superior cluneal and superior gluteal nerve blocks, when added to the PENG block, to perioperative analgesia in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. The investigators sought to comparatively investigate whether this combination offers superior outcomes compared with the PENG block alone. It was hypothesized that combined nerve blocks may provide similar or improved recovery scores, lower pain scores, reduced opioid consumption, and enhanced analgesic efficacy without affecting the degree of motor blockade.