Low Concentration Local Anesthesia Fascia Iliaca Block for Total Hip Arthroplasty

Significance There are no published prospective randomized controlled trials evaluating LCLA blocks for THA. As THA is the second most frequent type of surgery requiring hospitalization, and has the prediction to increase its incidence for the next years, there is significant importance in investigations about interventions which may improve its recovery in an outpatient regime. A postoperative analgesic technique that offers better pain control, has less adverse effects, reduces the opioid analgesia requirement and is safer, may have additional impact on decreasing health care costs, and may lead to an enhanced recovery and better quality of life for THA patients.

Objectives The primary objective will be to evaluate efficacy of LCLA-FICB in comparison to HCLA-FICB for patients undergoing primary THA, in terms of pain scores and opioid consumption.

The secondary objective is to assess postoperative opioid related side effects and ipsilateral quadriceps weakness between those two postoperative analgesia techniques.

Hypothesis The LCLA-FICB, in comparison to HCLA-FICB, provides non-inferior postoperative analgesia in the first 24 hours following primary THA, while at the same time preserving quadriceps muscle group strength.

Methods Study type This will be a randomized controlled prospective trial, blinded for patient and evaluator, in patients undergoing primary THA at Sinai Health. After Hospital's Ethics in Research Board approval, the recruitment will begin. Patients will be assessed about their eligibility for participating and after plain clear information about the study interventions they will or will not authorize their inclusion and data collection, through the signature of a written consent.