Lumbar Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus PENG Block for Hip Fracture Surgery

November 3, 2026 updated by: Kerollos Moneer Neseem Mikhael, Beni-Suef University

Lumbar Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) Block in Patients With Fracture Neck of Femur Undergoing Hip Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial

The purpose of this clinical trial is to compare two different nerve block techniques-the Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) block and the Lumbar Erector Spinae Plane Block (L-ESPB)-for managing pain after hip fracture surgery in elderly patients.

Hip fractures are common in older adults and often cause significant pain. Managing this pain effectively helps patients recover faster and move around sooner after surgery. Traditional pain relief options include nerve blocks and strong pain medications (opioids). However, opioids can cause unwanted side effects like nausea and drowsiness, while some traditional nerve blocks can weaken the leg muscles, making early walking difficult.

Nerve blocks inject a local anesthetic (numbing medication) around specific nerves or within muscle layers to temporarily block pain signals:

  1. PENG Block: Targets the specific sensory nerves supplying the front of the hip joint while minimizing leg muscle weakness.
  2. Lumbar ESPB: Injects numbing medication near the lower spine to block pain signals coming from the hip region.

Participants in this study will include adults aged 60 and older undergoing hip surgery for a femoral neck fracture under spinal anesthesia. Participants will be randomly assigned (like flipping a coin) to receive either the PENG block or the Lumbar ESPB before their surgery. Both blocks are performed under ultrasound guidance to ensure precise medication placement.

Researchers will compare:

  • Pain levels at rest and during movement over the first 48 hours after surgery.
  • The total amount of additional pain medication (opioids) required.
  • Leg muscle (quadriceps) strength after surgery.
  • Any side effects or complications, as well as the overall length of hospital stay.

The findings from this study will help doctors determine which nerve block provides better pain relief while preserving leg strength, aiding in safer and faster recovery for elderly patients after hip surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE:

Hip fractures in elderly patients are associated with significant morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and functional decline. Effective perioperative analgesia is crucial for early recovery. While systemic opioids and conventional nerve blocks (such as femoral or fascia iliaca blocks) provide pain relief, they are often limited by quadriceps weakness, opioid-related side effects, and delayed mobilization.

The Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) block targets the articular branches of the femoral, obturator, and accessory obturator nerves supplying the anterior hip capsule, offering motor-sparing analgesia. The lumbar erector spinae plane block (L-ESPB) is a paraspinal fascial plane block allowing craniocaudal local anesthetic spread to dorsal and ventral rami. Head-to-head evidence comparing L-ESPB and PENG blocks in patients with femoral neck fractures undergoing hip surgery remains limited.

STUDY PROTOCOL & INTERVENTIONS:

This prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial evaluates elderly patients (age ≥60 years, ASA II-III) undergoing hip surgery (hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty) under spinal anesthesia.

Participants are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either:

  1. Group P: Ultrasound-guided PENG block using 20-25 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine.
  2. Group E: Ultrasound-guided L-ESPB at L3/L4 level using 25-30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine.

Blocks are performed 20 minutes preoperatively by a dedicated anesthetist not involved in outcome assessment. All patients receive standardized intraoperative spinal anesthesia and postoperative multimodal systemic analgesia (scheduled IV/oral paracetamol with IV pethidine as rescue analgesia). Pain scores at rest and on movement, cumulative 24-hour opioid consumption, quadriceps strength (MRC scale), block-related complications, and length of hospital stay will be evaluated.

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.
64

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Egypt
      • Banī Suwayf, Egypt, 62515
        • Beni-Suef University Hospital

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

60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 60 years or older.
  2. Unilateral fracture neck of femur scheduled for hip surgery (hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty) under spinal anesthesia (with or without light sedation).
  3. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II-III.
  4. Ability to understand and use Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scoring and to provide informed consent (or availability of a legally authorized representative according to local regulations).

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patient refusal to participate.
  2. Coagulopathy (platelet count < 100,000/µL, INR > 1.4) or ongoing therapeutic anticoagulation that precludes deep peripheral or neuraxial blocks per current guidelines.
  3. Infection at the injection site, systemic sepsis, or hemodynamic instability.
  4. Pre-existing significant neurological deficit in the involved lower limb, advanced peripheral neuropathy, or cognitive impairment precluding reliable pain assessment.
  5. Known allergy or hypersensitivity to amide local anesthetics or study medications.
  6. Severe chronic opioid use (defined as > 30 mg oral morphine equivalent daily for > 3 months).
  7. Body Mass Index (BMI) > 35 kg/m² if considered to significantly hinder ultrasound visualization, at investigator discretion.
  8. Prior hip surgery on the same side or severe anatomical hip deformity affecting block performance.

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: Double

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.
Active Comparator: PENG Block

Patients receive an ultrasound-guided Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) block preoperatively using 20-25 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (50-62.5 mg) deposited in the fascial plane between the iliopsoas tendon and pubic ramus near the iliopubical eminence (IPE). Standard spinal anesthesia and postoperative multimodal systemic analgesia are administered.
Procedure: Pericapsular Nerve Group Block

Ultrasound-guided nerve block performed 20 minutes preoperatively in the supine position. A 22G echogenic needle is directed in-plane lateral-to-medial to target the fascial plane deep to the iliopsoas tendon. Following negative aspiration and hydrodissection (2-3 mL saline), 20-25 mL bupivacaine 0.25% (or 15-20 mL in frail/small patients) is injected in 3-5 mL aliquots.

Other Names:
  • PENG Block
Active Comparator: Lumbar ESPB

Patients receive an ultrasound-guided Lumbar Erector Spinae Plane Block (L-ESPB) preoperatively at the L3 or L4 transverse process level using 25-30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (62.5-75 mg) deposited deep to the erector spinae muscle. Standard spinal anesthesia and postoperative multimodal systemic analgesia are administered.
Procedure: Lumbar Erector Spinae Plane Block

Ultrasound-guided fascial plane block performed 20 minutes preoperatively in the lateral decubitus or sitting position. A 22G echogenic needle is advanced in-plane cranial-to-caudal to contact the L3 or L4 transverse process. Following negative aspiration and hydrodissection confirming muscle lifting, 25-30 mL bupivacaine 0.25% is injected in 3-5 mL aliquots.

Other Names:
  • L-ESPB
  • Lumbar ESPB

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 Pain Score on Movement at 12 Hours
Time Frame: 12 hours after the end of surgery

Pain intensity assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Pain is evaluated during gentle passive leg movement (flexion or rotation) of the operated limb.
12 hours after the end of 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
Postoperative Pain Scores at Rest and Movement at Specified Time Points
Time Frame: 30 minutes, 2 hours, 6 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after surgery

Pain intensity measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0-10, where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain) at rest and during gentle passive movement of the operated limb.
30 minutes, 2 hours, 6 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after surgery
Cumulative Opioid Consumption in the First 24 Hours
Time Frame: First 24 hours postoperatively

Total dose of intravenous pethidine (meperidine) administered as rescue analgesia in milligrams (mg).
First 24 hours postoperatively
Time to First Rescue Analgesic Request
Time Frame: Up to 48 hours postoperatively

Duration of time measured in hours from the end of surgery until the patient requests the first dose of rescue IV pethidine.
Up to 48 hours postoperatively
Quadriceps Motor Function (Knee Extension Strength)
Time Frame: At 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively

Evaluation of ipsilateral quadriceps muscle strength using the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale, ranging from 0 (no movement) to 5 (normal strength). Motor weakness is defined as an MRC grade ≤ 3/5.
At 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively
Incidence of Block-Related Complications and Opioid-Related Adverse Events
Time Frame: Up to 48 hours postoperatively

Percentage of participants experiencing adverse events including postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pruritus, urinary retention, hypotension, bradycardia, signs of local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST), hematoma, injection site infection, neurological deficit/nerve injury, or falls.
Up to 48 hours postoperatively
Length of Hospital Stay
Time Frame: From date of surgery until hospital discharge (up to approximately 30 days)

Duration of time from surgery completion until discharge from the hospital, measured in total days.
From date of surgery until hospital discharge (up to approximately 30 days)

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.
Beni-Suef University

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 (Estimated)

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.
November 5, 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.
April 30, 2027

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.
May 15, 2027

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).
October 27, 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.
October 27, 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.
November 2, 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.
November 4, 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.
November 3, 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.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • FMBSUREC/07062026b/ Mikhael

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual de-identified participant data underlying the published primary and secondary results (including demographic data, baseline characteristics, NRS pain scores, cumulative opioid consumption, quadriceps motor strength scores, and adverse events) will be made available upon reasonable request to qualified academic researchers.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data will become available starting 6 months following publication of the primary manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal and will remain accessible for up to 3 years.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data will be shared with researchers whose proposed use has been approved by an independent review committee or the principal investigator to achieve the aims of an approved scientific proposal. Requests should be directed to the Principal Investigator (Dr. Kerollos Moneer Neseem Mikhael) via email. A signed Data Use Agreement (DUA) may be required.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

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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