Abstract
BackgroundThe pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block is a novel motor-sparing regional technique for hip analgesia. We hypothesized that in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty, the PENG block is more effective in reducing postoperative pain than placebo.MethodsIn this multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty received spinal anesthesia and local infiltration analgesia, along with either a PENG block or a sham block. The primary outcome was dynamic pain score (numeric rating scale 0-10) measured 3 h postoperatively on day 0. Secondary outcomes included quadriceps strength, pain scores on postoperative day 1, opioid consumption, complications, length of hospital stay, and patient-reported outcome measures.DiscussionThis is the protocol of our trial in which recruitment and data collection were conducted between 28 June 2021 and 8 November 2021. The results can be found in our published work.Trial registration: Ethics approval was obtained from the Southern Area Local Health Network before recruiting the first patient. This trial was prospectively registered prior to initiation on 5 December 2020; URL: https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/9147. The study adhered to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines and its extension for reporting patient-reported outcomes.