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The Pericapsular Nerve Block in Total Hip Arthroplasty

The Pericapsular Nerve Block in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04729686
Acronym
PENG
Enrollment
78
Registered
2021-01-28
Start date
2020-12-09
Completion date
2025-12-01
Last updated
2025-01-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hip Osteoarthritis, Hip Arthropathy

Keywords

Total Hip Arthroplasty, Total Hip Replacement, Hip Arthroplasty, Hip Replacement, Postoperative Pain

Brief summary

In order to continue progressing towards outpatient total hip arthroplasty (THA), methods to adequately manage postoperative pain is of paramount importance. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effectiveness of the pericapsular nerve block in total hip arthroplasty in comparison to the fascia iliaca nerve block.

Detailed description

This is a single center, randomized, controlled trial in adult subjects undergoing total hip arthroplasty that will receive one of two different nerve block regimens for pain management as part of standard of care. Effective pain control after surgery for total hip replacement is a critical element in patient recovery. Particularly, in the first few days, as majority of patients may experience significant pain. Improved pain management after surgery contributes to better healing, faster patient mobility, shortened hospital stays, and reduced healthcare costs. While pain management is an important factor in total hip replacement, pain after surgery has yet to be improved. Inadequate pain control can lead to delayed movement, thereby increasing the risk for complications such as blood clots in the legs (deep venous thrombosis - blood clots in your veins) with some patients developing blood clots in their lungs (pulmonary embolus). In addition to pain medications after surgery, nerve blocks such as the femoral or fascia iliaca, have been used as supporting therapy for pain management after a total hip replacement. While these nerve blocks are used on a regular basis, they do have limitations which can produce inconsistent results for pain control and use of pain medications after surgery. With no clear superior nerve block for total hip replacement, a new nerve block, called the pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block has emerged. It has demonstrated the ability to prolong pain relief and decrease the use of pain medications after surgery. Therefore, a randomized study comparing the PENG block to other blocks established within the anesthesia community (e.g., fascia iliaca block) will allow for providers to understand the capabilities this block has in the setting of a total hip replacement. In addition to your normal standard clinical care, there will scheduled pre-operative, operative, 2-week, and 4-6 week follow-up visits.

Interventions

Per Standard Institutional Practice

Per Standard Institutional Practice

Sponsors

Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
LifeBridge Health
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Provision of signed and dated informed consent form * Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study * Planned primary total hip arthroplasty with anterior (Smith-Peterson) approach * ASA score of 1 to 3 * Indicated for one of the two nerve block groups * Must be opioid naïve at screening as defined by the FDA - According to the Food and Drug Administration, opioid-tolerant patients were those currently receiving or who had previously received 60 mg PO morphine per day, 25 mcg transdermal fentanyl per hour, 30 mg PO oxycodone per day, 8 mg PO hydromorphone per day, 25 mg PO oxymorphone per day, 60 mg PO hydrocodone per day, or an equivalent dose of another opioid for a duration of one week or longer (16)

Exclusion criteria

* Current or previous diagnosis of chronic pain * Opioid tolerant at time of screening (for a week or longer, at least 60 mg of morphine daily, or at least 30 mg of oral oxycodone daily, or at least 8 mg of oral hydromorphone daily or an equianalgesic dose of another opioid.) * Diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis * Allergy to any potential medications utilized in any of the two groups * Conversion of patient to general anesthesia intraoperatively * Treatment with another investigational drug or other intervention for pain * Any condition(s) or diagnosis, both physical or psychological, or physical exam finding in the opinion of the investigator that would precludes participation

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS) ScoreEvery 4 hours from end of surgery to 48 hours post surgery or dischargeScore recorded by drawing a vertical line on a 100 mm horizontal line between No Pain (0 mm) and Worst Pain (100 mm)
Postoperative Opioid Consumption in mgSurgery to 1 month post surgeryTotal opioid consumption will be recorded during postoperative period and at 1 month follow-up visit

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Distance upon first ambulation48 hours postoperative or discharge
Incidence of weakness and fallsEnd of surgery to 48 hours post-operation or discharge
Time to first opioid medicationEnd of surgery 48 hours post-operation or discharge
12 Item Short Form Health Survey Version 2Last preoperative visit to four weeks post-operation12 question items measuring health and well being as reported by the patient. 2 scores are calculated: 1) Physical Component Summary Score (PCS) and (2) Mental Health Component Summary Score (MCS) in which scores range from 0-100 with a score of zero indicating lowest level of health and 100 indicating the highest level of health.
Harris Hip ScoreLast preoperative visit to four weeks post-operation10 question items measuring pain severity, function, absence of deformity, and range of motion. Scores range from 0-100 with higher scores representing better outcomes.
Time to first ambulationEnd of surgery to 48 hours post-operation or discharge

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactMartin Gesheff
mgesheff@lifebridgehealth.org410-601-9467
Backup ContactNirav Patel
nirpatel@lifebridgehealth.org

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026