The pericapsular nerve group block: a step towards outpatient total hip arthroplasty?

Introduction: A new regional anaesthetic technique, coined the pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block, targets the anterior hip capsule by blocking the articular branches of the femoral nerve and accessory obturator nerve. In this study, we evaluated: (1) patient outcomes; (2) postoperative pain scores; and (3) postoperative opioid consumption in total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients who received a PENG block in comparison to a control group. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for patients who underwent primary THA and met criteria at a single institution (n = 48), with an additional cohort of patients collected as controls (n = 48). Postoperative pain scores were measured by obtaining the cumulative visual analogue scores (VAS) at 12-hour intervals until the 48-hour benchmark. All administered opioids were collected from postoperative day (POD) 0 to POD2 and converted to morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Results: In the PENG group, length of stay was significantly shorter (p