Ultrasound Guided Pericapsular Nerve Group Block Versus Quadratus Lumborum Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Pediatric Hip Surgeries

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a common disease of the pediatrics patients with a rate of incidence 3 to 5 per 1000 children and open surgical reduction of congenital hip dislocation (CHD) is commonly done in paediatrics.

One of the most important challenges in pediatric hip surgeries is postoperative pain management which may result in impaired patient rehabilitation and prolonged hospitalizations.

Opioids are commonly used for postoperative analgesia in various surgeries but their use is associated with many complications such as sedation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation and respiratory depression. Many types of peripheral nerve blocks, such as the femoral nerve block (FNB) and the lumbar plexus block (LPB), are used for lower limb surgeries as well as anterior quadratus lumborum block (QLB) and Pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block that provide effective postoperative analgesia in lower limb surgeries.

Quadratus Lumborum (QL) block was first described by Rafael Blanco at the 2007 annual meeting of the European Society of Regional Anesthesia (ESRA). The basic concept of the QL block is the deposition of a local anesthetic solution adjacent to the anterolateral aspect of the QL muscle. The spread pattern obtained is similar to that of the landmark-based TAP block, in that there is subsequent extension into the thoracic paravertebral space. Borglum et al. originally described placing the needle tip anterior to the QL muscle using their transmuscular approach.

This technique was later refined by applying a posterior approach, named the "Shamrock method" (with the erector spinae, QL, and psoas muscles as the leaves and the L4 transverse process as the stem). Administering local anesthesia between the QL and psoas muscles ensures a reliable spread into the thoracic paravertebral space.