Peripheral Nerve Blocks vs Selective Spinal Anesthesia in Patients With Femur Fracture

Summary

Proximal Femur Fractures (PFF) represent one of the most common orthopedic injuries worldwide, affecting especially elderly patients with potentially disabling outcomes and a marked impairment of quality of life. Taking into account their inherent instability, PFF are usually treated surgically within the shortest possible delay in order to reduce the risk of major and minor complications, the length of hospitalization and related costs. In this setting, most retrospective and prospective studies have reported a similar 30-day mortality rate comparing Spinal Anesthesia (SA) and General Anesthesia (GA), often recommending an adjuvant Peripheral Nerve Block (PNBs) to control postoperative pain. There is consensus that anticoagulant therapy, lack of pharmacological optimization or other conditions may represent a contraindication to SA. In these cases, blocking the nerves responsible for innervation of the proximal femur (i.e., the femoral, lateral femoral-cutaneous, obturators and sciatic nerves) may be a useful option. This study will aim to compare the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative adverse events, as well as the analgesic efficacy of the PNBs compared to SSA in patients diagnosed with PFF who underwent intramedullary nailing as a method of fixation.

Conditions

• Femur Fracture
• Peripheral Nerve Block
• Spinal Anesthesia

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Selective Spinal Anesthesia

Selective Spinal Anesthesia will be performed at the L2-L3 or L3-L4 interspace with the patients lying in the lateral position (fractured side up). Anesthesiologists will determine the needling point for spinal anesthesia with reference to Tuffier's line, a virtual line connecting the tops of the iliac crests of a patient. A small dose of LA (4 ml of 1% lidocaine) will be injected into the skin and soft tissues at the planned site of spinal needle insertion. The correct path for spinal needle placement will be identified with the needle infiltration. The technique will be performed aseptically in the subarachnoid space after observing clear Cephalo-Spinal Fluid (CSF) in the spinal needle 25 Gauge, and without releasing the CSF. Selected patients will receive Hypobaric Bupivacaine 0.5% 7.5 mg and Sufentanil 5 µg and will maintain the lateral position for 15 min. At the end of these they will be gently placed in supine position.

PROCEDURE

Peripheral nerve blocks

In this group, four nerve blocks will be associated to ensure adequate anesthesia and analgesia during surgery. Sciatic nerve blocks with para sacral approach will be performed with a needle connected to an electrical nerve stimulation. The needle will be advanced until contraction of the related muscles. Next, an anesthetic solution of Ropivacaine 0.375% (dose 37.5 mg) plus Mepivacaine 1% (dose 100 mg) and Dexamethasone 4mg, total volume 21 ml, will be injected. Lateral femoral cutaneous, femoral and obturator nerve blocks, femoral will be performed with the ultrasound technique. After identifying the nerves, a needle will be inserted with an "in plane" approach and will be injected. The anesthesia mixture will consist for all of :Ropivacaine 0.375% plus Mepivacaine 1% plus dexamethasone 4 mg. The volumes of the 3 anesthesia mixtures will be respectively: 1ml, 15ml,5ml.

DRUG

Anesthesiological mixtures (Spinal anesthesia)

The anesthesia mixtures will be injected into the subarachnoid space for spinal anesthesia. It will consist of the following local anesthetics and adjuvants: Hypobaric Bupivacaine 0.5% 7.5 mg and Sufentanil 5 µg.

DRUG

Anesthesiological mixtures (Peripheral nerve block)

The anesthesia mixtures will be injected into selected peripheral nerves . It will consist of the following local anesthetics and adjuvants: Ropivacaine 0.375% plus Mepivacaine 1% and Dexamethasone 4 mg.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Federico II University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Antonio Coviello, Researcher · Federico II University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-12-31

Primary Completion

2024-04-01

Completion

2024-06-15

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations