Abstract

In a prospective randomized blind study of 182 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, the patients per- and postoperative need for analgesics was assessed in two groups, one receiving general anesthesia and a 3-in-one block, the other group only general anesthesia. Although we found a significant reduction in analgesics per- and postoperatively in the 3-in-one block group, the difference in analgesics was small and has no clinical relevance in the patient with a healthy cardiovascular status. We conclude that 3-in-one block in combination with light general anesthesia is not the anesthetic of choice in total hip arthroplasty using the posterior approach.