Pericapsular nerve group block reduces opioid use and pain after hip surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: While the pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block has become increasingly popular for managing pain after hip surgery, its efficacy remains controversial.

Methods: We systematically searched Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials to assess current evidence about the efficacy of the PENG block. Patients who received PENG block were compared to those who received sham/no block in terms of opioid consumption and pain within 24h after surgery, time to first opioid requirement, functional recovery, risk of nausea and vomiting, and patient dissatisfaction. The quality of evidence was assessed using the "Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation" (GRADE) system.

Results: We meta-analyzed six trials involving 416 patients who received preoperative PENG block and 415 who received sham/no block. Patients did not receive any other type of multimodal analgesia. Within 24 h after hip surgery, PENG block significantly reduced postoperative opioid consumption (MD = -12.03, 95% CI: -21.47 to -2.59, P < 0.01, I2 = 97%), particularly in subpopulations undergoing hip replacement, hip fracture, or who had spinal anesthesia, and it significantly decreased dynamic pain scores, but not static scores, without increasing risk of nausea or vomiting or patient dissatisfaction. Individual studies suggested that the PENG block can prolong the time to the first opioid requirement and can improve functional recovery. Most meta-analyses provided evidence of moderate quality according to the GRADE system.

Conclusions: The available evidence indicates that preoperative PENG block can significantly decrease opioid consumption and pain early after hip surgery, and it may also promote early functional rehabilitation. However, the limited number of included studies and sample size make it difficult to draw firm conclusions. The decision on whether to apply the PENG block should take into account the patient's age and the type of surgery and anesthesia.