Effectiveness of Bilateral Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block in Percutaneous Lumbar Osteosynthesis for Spine Trauma: A Retrospective Study

Postoperative pain in spine surgery is an issue. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) may reduce such postoperative pain, but its usefulness has never been evaluated in the specific context of trauma surgery. We thus studied the effect of bilateral ultrasound-guided ESPB on postoperative pain and opioid requirement after percutaneous lumbar arthrodesis for trauma.

All patients who underwent percutaneous lumbar arthrodesis for spine trauma between December 2019 and March 2020 were retrospectively studied. Some patients received preoperative bilateral ESPB (30 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine on each side; ESPB group), others received the standard of care (i.e., postoperative muscular infiltration with 30 mL of 0.75% of ropivacaine; control group), according to the preference of the anesthesiologist in charge of the patient. The rest of the management was identical in all patients. The primary outcome was the cumulative morphine consumption at 24 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included pain score at various time points until 24 hours.

Fifty-five patients were included, of whom 24 received an EPSB and 31 received the standard of care. The cumulative morphine consumption (mean [standard deviation]) at 24 hours was 13 (12) mg in the ESPB group, and 35 (17) mg in the control group (P < 0.001). Pain scores were significantly lower in the ESPB group compared with the control group up to 9 hours after surgery (P < 0.01).

In this pilot study, compared with standard analgesia, ESPB reduced opioid requirement and postoperative pain after percutaneous lumbar arthrodesis for trauma. A randomized controlled trial is required to prove this effectiveness.