Low Concentration Local Anesthesia Fascia Iliaca Block for Total Hip Arthroplasty

Fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) is a documented option for postoperative analgesia for total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery. FICB is demonstrated to be effective in terms of analgesia and opioid requirements decrease, however it causes quadriceps motor weakness. Current available motor sparing techniques are not as effective as FICB for analgesia. Low concentration local anesthetics (LCLA) are used with excellent results for pain control with no or minimum motor block effect, in other scenarios (highlighted in obstetric anesthesia) and techniques (epidural anesthesia, for instance). This study proposes that LCLA-FICB can offer the benefit of peripheral nerve blocks mediated analgesia, while at the same time avoiding motor blockade and muscle weakness. The investigators hypothesize that LCLA-FICB, when compared to conventional high concentration local anesthetics (HCLA) FICB, provides similar postoperative analgesia in the first 24 hours following primary THA, while at the same time preserving quadriceps muscle group strength.