Quadratus Lumborum Block as an Alternative to Lumbar Plexus Block for Hip Surgery: A Report of 2 Cases.

Quadratus lumborum (QL) block was first described several years ago, but few articles have been published regarding this technique, for the most part case series involving abdominal surgery. We report 2 cases of prolonged, extensive block of thoracic and lumbar dermatomes after QL block in patients undergoing different hip surgery procedures for whom QL block was used in place of lumbar plexus block. Further prospective studies comparing these 2 techniques are necessary to better characterize the role of QL block in hip surgery.

Ropivacaine 0.1% versus 0.2% for continuous lumbar plexus nerve block infusions following total hip arthroplasty: a randomized, double blinded study.

Objective: Continuous lumbar plexus blocks provide excellent analgesia for total hip arthroplasty (THA), but their utility has been questioned as they may increase motor weakness. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two different concentrations of ropivacaine on both postoperative analgesia and motor function.

Methods: Thirty patients were examined in this prospective, single center, double-blinded, parallel group, comparative, randomized controlled trial in patients undergoing primary THA.

A multifactorial approach to the factors influencing determination of paravertebral depth.

Purpose: Predicting the depth of needle insertion for paravertebral nerve blocks is currently based on patients' anthropometric characteristics, and the block level. Although preliminary studies report relationships between paravertebral depth and the body mass index (BMI), the number of observations, to date, are inadequate to formulate reliable conclusions. This study was designed to determine which factors may predict the distance between the skin and paravertebral space, for patients undergoing paravertebral nerve block procedures.