Opioid Free Anesthesia in Total Hip Arthroplasty (OFATHA)

Opioid Free Anesthesia in Total Hip Arthroplasty. A Randomized, Controlled and Triple-blind Clinical Trial

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most common orthopedic surgical procedure and is associated with severe pain in the immediate postoperative period, thus limiting early recovery.

Postoperative pain management in THA requires multimodal analgesia, combining drugs and injection of a local anesthetic (LA). But, the best anesthesia strategy to provide optimal postoperative analgesia in THA remains controversial. Opioid free anesthesia could limit the episodes of hyperalgesia as well as tolerance and addiction to opioids.

The hypothesis of this study is that an opioid free anesthesia using dexmedetomidine could improve analgesia after THA.

The main objective of this monocenter, prospective, randomized, triple-blind, controlled trial is to assess the interest of opioid free anesthesia using dexmedetomidine on morphine consumption after THA.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Sufentanil; Drug: Dexmedetomidine

Detailed Description

In the pre-anaesthesia room, after the implementation of classical monitoring and a peripheral venous catheter, all patients will receive an antibioprophylaxis according to SFAR (French Society of Anesthesia & Intensive Care Medecine) recommendations and injection of 10 mg of IV dexamethasone.

The patients will be then randomized in 2 groups:

Control group:

• Pre-operative normal saline infusion 100 ml over 30 minutes
• Injection of sufentanil 10 µg in normal saline 2 ml on induction of anesthesia

If needed after incision :

• Per-operative normal saline infusion 100 ml
• Per-operative injection of sufentanil 5 µg in normal saline 1 ml

OFA group (experimental group):

• Pre-operative dexmedetomidine infusion 1 µg/kg in normal saline 100 ml over 30 minutes
• Injection of normal saline 2 ml on induction of anesthesia

If needed after incision :

• Per-operative dexmedetomidine infusion 0.4 µg/kg in normal saline 100 ml
• Per-operative injection of normal saline 1 ml

In the operating room, general anesthesia will be induced by intravenous ketamine (0.4 mg/kg) + propofol (3 mg/kg) +/- cisatracurium (0.1 mg/kg) for the introduction of laryngeal mask airway. Anesthesia will be maintained with propofol.

Postoperative analgesia protocol :

• Multimodal analgesia will be instituted during surgery by the administration of paracetamol (1 g), nefopam (20 mg) and ketoprofen (100 mg) and the infiltration of the surgical wound with 100 ml of ropivacaine 0.2%.
• In post-anesthesia care unit (PACU): oxycodone titration if NRS (pain score) >3 according to the centre's usual care.
• In ward and at home: systematic per os analgesia with paracetamol (1 g, 4 times a day) and ibuprofen (400 mg, 3 times a day); oxycodone (10 mg, lockout interval: 4 h) if NRS (pain score) >3.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 80
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Haute-Garonne
    • Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, France, 31036
      • Clinique MEDIPOLE GARONNE

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years and older,
• Undergoing outpatient primary total hip arthroplasty under general anesthesia with laryngeal mask,
• Consent for participation,
• Affiliation to a social security system

Exclusion Criteria:

• Heart rate < 60 bpm
• Chronic pain syndrome requiring preoperative morphine use (class 3)
• Contraindication for: paracetamol, ketoprofen, nefopam, oxycodone, propofol, ketamine, cisatracurium, sufentanyl, ropivacaine.
• Contraindication for dexmedetomidine: hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients, advanced cardiac block (grade 2 or 3) unless paced ; uncontrolled hypotension ; acute cerebrovascular conditions
• Contraindication to laryngeal mask : old insulin-dependent diabetes, gastro-oesophageal reflux, morbid obesity (defined by BMI > 35)
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• Women of child bearing potential without contraception (any contraceptive method used regularly and appropriately with a low failure rate: <1% per year),
• A mental or linguistic inability to understand the study,
• Patient under protection of the adults (guardianship, curators or safeguard of justice),
• Patient included or planning to be included in another clinical trial relating to medications

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Control group; Sufentanil IV injection	Drug: Sufentanil; Pre-operative injection of sufentanil 10µg in 2ml of normal saline on induction of anesthesia + per-operative injection of sufentanil 5µg in 1ml of normal saline during the surgery if needed.
Experimental: OFA group; Dexmedetomidine IV infusion	Drug: Dexmedetomidine; Pre-operative infusion of dexmedetomidine 1µg/kg in 100ml of normal saline before surgery + per-operative infusion of dexmedetomidine 0.4 µg/kg in 100ml of normal saline during the surgery if needed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postoperative analgesia, defined by the oxycodone consumption in the first 24 hours post-surgery	Postoperative cumulated dose of oxycodone in oral morphine equivalent (mg)	24 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Analgesia in post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)	Total amount of oxycodone (mg) administered in PACU	6 hours
Postoperative pain at rest	Postoperative pain at rest (numeric rating scale ranging from 0 to 10: 0= no pain; 10= worst imaginable pain)	24 hours
Postoperative pain at walk	Postoperative pain at mobilization (numeric rating scale ranging from 0 to 10: 0= no pain; 10= worst imaginable pain)	24 hours
Side effects associated with opioids	Complications due to oxycodone (postoperative nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, acute urinary retention, pruritus, disorientation)	24 hours
Side effects associated with dexmedetomidine	Complications due to dexmedetomidine (bradycardia defined by HR<50 bpm or requiring the use of atropine; hypotension defined by SBP<90 mmHg or requiring the use of vasoconstrictors; hypertension defined by SBP>160 mmHg).	24 hours
Outpatient care failure	Unplanned hospitalizations	24 hours
Length of stay in post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)	Duration of PACU stay (min)	6 hours
Time to recover the ability to walk	Duration for recovery the ability to walk (min)	12 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: CMC Ambroise Paré

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Chassery C, Atthar V, Marty P, Vuillaume C, Casalprim J, Basset B, De Lussy A, Naudin C, Joshi GP, Rontes O. Opioid-free versus opioid-sparing anaesthesia in ambulatory total hip arthroplasty: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Anaesth. 2024 Feb;132(2):352-358. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.10.031. Epub 2023 Dec 2.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 3, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 2, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): February 2, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 17, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): October 11, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 8, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 2, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Dexmedetomidine; Hip arthroplasty; Postoperative analgesia; Opioid free anesthesia
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds; Azoles; Imidazoles; Piperidines; Fentanyl; Dexmedetomidine; Sufentanil
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2021/04

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No