FRONT Block for Quality of Recovery After Total Hip Arthroplasty

August 22, 2026 updated by: Betul Kozanhan, Konya Meram State Hospital

Effect of Femoral Rami and Obturator Nerve Trunk (FRONT) Block on Postoperative Quality of Recovery After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

This prospective randomized controlled trial evaluates the effect of ultrasound-guided unilateral Femoral Rami and Obturator Nerve Trunk (FRONT) block on postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with significant postoperative pain that may impair early recovery. The Femoral Rami and Obturator Nerve Trunk (FRONT) block is a regional anesthesia technique targeting sensory innervation of the anterior hip capsule and may improve postoperative recovery while preserving motor function. This prospective randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether the addition of ultrasound-guided unilateral FRONT block to standard multimodal analgesia improves postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing THA.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
80

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Scheduled for total hip arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III
  • Ability to understand and complete the QoR-15 questionnaire
  • Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Refusal to participate
  • Contraindication to spinal anesthesia or regional block
  • Allergy to study medications
  • Chronic opioid use (daily use for more than 3 months)
  • Neurological or neuromuscular disorders affecting the lower extremities
  • Infection at the injection site
  • Coagulation disorders
  • Cognitive impairment prevents questionnaire completion

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: FRONT Block Group
Participants in this group will receive an ultrasound-guided unilateral Femoral Rami and Obturator Nerve Trunk (FRONT) block in addition to standardized multimodal postoperative analgesia.
Procedure: FRONT Block (Femoral Rami and Obturator Nerve Trunk Block)
Ultrasound-guided unilateral FRONT block targeting the femoral rami and obturator nerve trunk will be performed
Procedure: Standard Multimodal Analgesia
Standardized postoperative multimodal analgesia including intravenous paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and rescue opioid analgesia as required.
Active Comparator: Control Group
Participants in this group will receive standardized multimodal postoperative analgesia without FRONT block.
Procedure: Standard Multimodal Analgesia
Standardized postoperative multimodal analgesia including intravenous paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and rescue opioid analgesia as required.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative Quality of Recovery (QoR-15 Score)
Time Frame: 24 hours after surgery
Postoperative quality of recovery will be assessed using the validated Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire. The total score ranges from 0 to 150, with higher scores indicating better recovery.
24 hours after surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quality of Recovery (QoR-15) Score at 48 Hours
Time Frame: 48 hours after surgery
Quality of recovery will be assessed using the validated Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire (0-150, higher scores indicate better recovery).
48 hours after surgery
Postoperative Pain Intensity
Time Frame: 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery
Pain intensity will be assessed using an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain.
2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery
Total Opioid Consumption
Time Frame: 0-24 hours after surgery
Total postoperative opioid consumption during the first 24 hours will be recorded and converted to intravenous morphine milligram equivalents (MME).
0-24 hours after surgery
Time to First Rescue Analgesia
Time Frame: Within the first 24 hours after surgery
Time from the end of surgery to the first rescue opioid administration will be recorded
Within the first 24 hours after surgery
Time to First Mobilization
Time Frame: Within the first 48 hours after surgery
Time from the end of surgery to first assisted ambulation will be recorded
Within the first 48 hours after surgery
Quadriceps Motor Strength
Time Frame: 0-48 hours after surgery
Quadriceps muscle strength will be evaluated using the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale ranging from 0 (no contraction) to 5 (normal muscle strength).
0-48 hours after surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Konya Meram State Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 25, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 5, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 5, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 25, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 22, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • FRONT BLOCK

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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