Rationale: For hip or knee arthroplasty, it is essential to develop a satisfied peripheral nerve block method that will benefit elderly patients or patients who are contraindicated to neuraxial anesthesia.
Patients concerns: Patient in Case 1 suffered from the right intertrochanteric fracture, combined with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Patient in Case 2 suffered from hip osteoarthritis; combined with ankylosing spondylitis; Patient in Case 3 suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, combined with ischemic encephalopathy.
Diagnosis: Case 1: Right intertrochanteric fracture, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Case 2: hip osteoarthritis. Case 3: rheumatoid arthritis.
Interventions: Ultrasound-guided lumbar selective nerve root block (SNRB) plus T12 paravertebral and sacral plexus block were performed in 2 patients who received hip arthroplasty and 1 patient who received knee arthroplasty.
Outcomes: All patients successfully received surgeries with this peripheral nerve block method and no postoperative complication was reported.
Lessons: Ultrasound-guided lumbar SNRB plus T12 paravertebral and sacral plexus block not only satisfied the analgesia requirement of surgery, but also reduced the consumption of local anesthetic.