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The Application of Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block for Acute Pain Control of Hip Fracture and Surgery

  • Acute Pain Medicine (M Jones, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Pain and Headache Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Over 300,000 patients are hospitalized annually following hip fractures in the USA. Many patients experienced inadequate analgesia. We will review the perioperative effects of the fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) in hip fracture patients.

Recent Findings

FICB by injecting local anesthetics beneath the fascia iliaca results in significant pain relief in hip fractures. Neuropathies and vascular injuries are almost unlikely. Single-shot FICB is faster to place, yet providing about 8 h of analgesia when bupivacaine is used. Continuous FICB provides prolonged titratable analgesia, improved patient satisfaction, and leads to faster hospital discharge. FICB reduces opioid consumption, decreases morbidity and mortality, reduces hospital stay, reduces delirium, and improves satisfaction.

Summary

FICB should form part of a multimodal analgesic regime, in the context of a multidisciplinary approach to the management of hip fracture patients. More clinical investigations are needed to validate the long-term outcome benefits of FICB in hip fracture patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA

    Thomas Verbeek, Sanjib Adhikary & Henry Liu

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Richard Urman

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Verbeek, T., Adhikary, S., Urman, R. et al. The Application of Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block for Acute Pain Control of Hip Fracture and Surgery. Curr Pain Headache Rep 25, 22 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-021-00940-9

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