Postoperative analgesia and opioid use following hip arthroscopy with ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block: a randomized controlled double-blind trial

Objective To investigate the postoperative analgesic effect of ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block (QLB) in patients undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery. Methods Patients who were scheduled to undergo elective arthroscopic hip surgery were randomly assigned to the QLB (Q) or control (C) group (n = 40 each). After general anesthesia induction, unilateral QLB was performed under ultrasound guidance in the Q group. The amount of opioid use via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and the resting and movement pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores when the patient left the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours after surgery were recorded. Postoperative complications were recorded for both groups. Results At 24 hours post-surgery, opioid consumption amounts via PCA (48.4 [48.1-48.6] mL) in the Q group were significantly lower compared with the C group (52.0 [51.0-53.8] mL). A significant reduction in opioid consumption was observed between the two groups at each time point. Resting and movement VAS scores at each time point were significantly lower in the Q compared with the C group. Conclusions Hip arthroscopy patients who received QLB and general anesthesia in combination had less pain and a lower opioid requirement within 24 hours postoperatively.