Quadratus Lumborum Block as an Alternative to Lumbar Plexus Block for Hip Surgery

Abstract

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.