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Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) vs. pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block in total hip arthroplasty in elderly
Tomasz Reysner1, Grzegorz Kowalski1, Małgorzata Reysner1
1Department of Palliative Medicine, Poznan Univercity of Medical Sciences, Poland.
Introduction:
This study evaluated the efficacy of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block under spinal anesthesia for postoperative analgesia in elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.
Material And Methods:
In this randomized, controlled, double-blind study, 90 elderly patients (aged 67-89 years, ASA II and III), scheduled for total hip arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia were randomly allocated to three groups: PENG block (n = 30), ESPB (n = 30), and Control group (n = 30). Ultrasound-guided blocks were administered using 20 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine. The primary outcome was total opioid consumption over 48 hours. Secondary outcomes included pain scores, time to first rescue opioid analgesia, quadriceps muscle strength, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR).
Results:
Opioid consumption within 48 hours was significantly lower in both the PENG (3.5 ± 4.0) and ESPB (3.4 ± 3.8) groups compared to the Control group (16.07 ± 3.8 ), with P < 0.001, and no significant difference between PENG and ESPB groups (P = 1.0). Time to first rescue analgesia was longer in the PENG (12.3 ± 3.2) and ESPB (11.2 ± 2.9) groups relative to the Control group (4.2 ± 1.1), P < 0.001. Pain scores remained consistently lower in both intervention groups at all time points compared to the Control group. Quadriceps strength was lower in the PENG group at 6 hours postoperatively compared to ESPB. NLR and PLR values were lower in both block groups than in the Control group.
Conclusions:
Ultrasound-guided PENG and ESPB are effective for postoperative analgesia in elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, significantly reducing opioid requirements and enhancing recovery quality.
