Clonidine as an Adjuvant to Caudal Epidural Ropivacaine for Lumbosacral Spine Surgeries

Caudal epidural analgesia is a proven technique for providing analgesia for spinal surgeries. Prolonged pain relief with no motor blockade is desired for early mobilization.

The objective of this study is to compare the effect of adding 1 μg/kg of clonidine to injection ropivacaine 0.2% with respect to duration of analgesia, hemodynamic effects, and associated side effects.

In this prospective double-blind study, a total of 60 patients undergoing lumbosacral spine surgery were randomized to receive 25 cc caudal epidural injection of either injection ropivacaine 0.2% (Group R, n = 30) or a mixture of injection ropivacaine 0.2% and injection clonidine 1 μg/kg (Group RD, n = 30) under general anesthesia after the patient was positioned prone for surgery. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores, heart rate, blood pressures, and time to rescue analgesia and sedation score were recorded at regular intervals for the first 24 h.

Mean VAS scores were significantly lower in the RC Group for up to 12 h following the caudal block. The time to first rescue analgesic was prolonged in the RC group compared to the R Group, and it was statistically significant. No clinically significant hemodynamic changes were noted in either of the groups. No other side effects were seen in both the groups.

These results suggest that injection clonidine is an effective additive to injection ropivacaine for caudal epidural analgesia in lumbosacral spine surgeries.