Pericapsular nerve group block results in a longer analgesic effect and shorter time to discharge than femoral nerve block in patients after hip fracture surgery: a single-center double-blinded randomized trial

Abstract

Objective The pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block is a regional block that possibly provides better analgesia than that of the femoral nerve block (FNB) for hip fracture surgery. A randomized comparative trial performed in our institution showed that the PENG block may provide improved pain reduction compared with the FNB while preserving quadriceps strength. Methods In this single-center, double-blinded, randomized comparative trial, patients who underwent hip fracture surgery were randomized to receive either a FNB or PENG block for analgesia. This analysis reviews the outcomes of the block effect duration and time to discharge readiness. Results Sixty patients with similar baseline demographics were randomized. The median FNB duration was 15 hours, 35 minutes (range (hours:minutes) 4:08–30:45), and the median PENG duration was 22 hours, 50 minutes (range 6:00–32:00). The time to discharge readiness was shorter in the PENG group (3 days, range 1–14 days) than that in the FNB group (4 days, range 2–15 days). Conclusions The PENG block results in a faster recovery and shorter time to discharge readiness. The duration of the PENG block appears to be longer than that of the FNB.