Analgesic Efficacy of Ultrasound-guided Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block (FICB) and Outcomes in Preoperative Fast-track Geriatric Patients with Hip Fracture: A Single-center Retrospective Study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of preoperative fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) in terms of preoperative pain score reduction in geriatric hip fracture patients. Secondary objectives were to compare opioid consumption, procedure-related complications, and patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients aged 65 or older with hip fractures who experienced moderate to severe pain in a tertiary care university hospital from January 2019 to July 2021. The variables collected for analysis were patient baseline characteristics and the pain score at rest, including during movement from the beginning of service and subsequently each morning after admission until the day of surgery. Results: A total of 439 patients were included in this study, 109 patients (24.8%) receiving preoperative FICB (FICB group). When comparing the FICB and non-FICB groups, a significant reduction in pain scores was observed on postadmission day 1, both at rest (0 [IQR=0-4] vs. 0 [IQR=0-2], p<0.001) and during movement (0 [IQR=0-4] vs. 0 [IQR=0-2], p=0.018). This difference in pain reduction persisted on day 2 during movement (3 [IQR=0-5.75] VS 0 [IQR=0-3], p=0.001). No significant differences in preoperative opioid consumption or postoperative morbidities were observed between these two groups, and no complications related to the procedure were observed. Conclusion: For patients experiencing moderate to severe preoperative pain at the beginning of treatment, preoperative FICB can reduce pain scores for up to 2 days.