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SpondylolisthesisPhase 4RCT-ESPBNCT05345249

Erector Spinae Plane Block as Pain Management After Lumbar Fusion Surgery

A Phase 4 study testing Ropivacaine Hydrochloride Injection and Sodium chloride in people with Spondylolisthesis and Lumbar Disc Herniation, run by Ilse van de Wijgert at 1 site in Netherlands.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Rationale: Lumbar spine surgery is associated with high postoperative pain scores and analgesic use, despite use of multimodal analgesia. The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a promising locoregional anesthetic technique for this type of surgery. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Ropivacaine Hydrochloride Injection and Sodium chloride
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
76 participants
Where
1 siteNetherlands
Study dates
1 Jun 2022to 19 Jan 2024
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age ≥ 18 years;
  • Patients planned for elective lumbar spinal fusion surgery with a dorsal surgical approach;
  • 1-4 fusion level spine surgery;
  • Written informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • A Body Mass Index (BMI) > 40 kg/m²;
  • ASA physical health classification > 3;
  • Patients who will undergo spine surgery involving less than 2 or more than 4 levels of fusion, scoliosis surgery*;
  • Patients who will undergo circumferent spine surgery;
  • Patients with an active, local infection or systemic infection;
  • Patients with an allergy to one or more medications used in the study;
Show all 13Show fewer
  • Patients with any contraindication to a regional anesthetic technique;
  • Kidney- or liver failure inhibiting the systemic use of paracetamol and/or NSAIDs;
  • Acute surgeries;
  • Patients with a history of drugs or alcohol abuse;
  • Pregnancy;
  • Cognitive impairment;
  • Inability to speak or understand the Dutch language.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Netherlands1 site
  • Sint Maartenskliniek

    Ubbergen, Gelderland, 6500GM

Other trials in Netherlands

About this study

Official title: Erector Spinae Plane Block for Reduction of Early Postoperative Pain Scores and Opioid Use in Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery, a Prospective Double-blinded Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial

Rationale: Lumbar spine surgery is associated with high postoperative pain scores and analgesic use, despite use of multimodal analgesia. The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a promising locoregional anesthetic technique for this type of surgery. The literature is not yet conclusive about the effectiveness of this technique on reducing postoperative pain intensity.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the analgesic effect of ESPB as add-on therapy to multimodal analgesia on early postoperative pain intensity after lumbar spinal fusion surgery compared to placebo.

Read more

Study design: The study is designed as a prospective mono-centre, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Study population: 76 patients ≥ 18 years of age requiring elective lumbar spinal fusion surgery involving one to four fusion levels.

Intervention: Patients will receive ultrasound-guided ESPB with either ropivacaine or placebo at the end of surgery.

Main study parameters/endpoints: Main study parameter is pain intensity upon emergence from anesthesia measured with the Numeric Rating Scale. A minimal clinically important difference is considered to be a decrease of 1.5 points. Secondary endpoints are pain intensity during hospital stay and after 30 days, opioid use during hospital stay and after 30 days, opioid side effects, use of anti-emetics, time to first opioid use/request, length of hospital stay, quality of recovery at discharge.

Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: The Sint Maartenskliniek is experienced in applying locoregional analgesia, the use of ropivacaine and using sonography. The procedure of administering ESPB has a very low risk of complications. Receiving placebo is justifiable because this group will not be withhold standard treatment. The risks of receiving placebo are negligible. The patients will visit the clinic at regular follow-up moments.

Read the detailed description

Rationale: Lumbar spine surgery is associated with high postoperative pain scores and analgesic use. Despite multimodal pain treatment, time to first rescue treatment with opioids is often short and necessary on the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Latest scientific insights show most pain interventions produce mild analgesic effects, and advise a multimodal regimen based upon systemic analgesics consisting of at least gabapentoids, ketamine and opioids. Therefore, in our clinic (Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, the Netherlands), multimodal analgesia in spine surgery is now gold standard, with opioids as first choice postoperative rescue treatment. However, despite multimodal treatment, patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery still develop severe postoperative pain.

A different possible measure to lower the risk of postoperative pain is locoregional anesthesia. The Sint Maartenskliniek has a long history of applying locoregional anesthesia in orthopedic surgery. Locoregional anesthesia provides effective analgesia without systemic side-effects like drowsiness or nausea, thereby reducing perioperative systemic drug use and possibly reducing the risk of persistent postsurgical pain. A novel locoregional anesthetic technique is the erector spinae plane block (ESPB). Good quality evidence exists for the effectiveness of this technique in breast cancer surgery and video assisted thoracoscopy (VATS). Although ESPB seems a promising analgesic technique for lumbar spine surgery patients not responding to the multimodal pain treatment regimen, sufficient high quality evidence is lacking. A recent systematic review summarized the evidence of ESPB for lumbar spine surgery, including two randomized clinical trials (RCT), showing beginning evidence of reduced postoperative opioid consumption and decreased pain scores. However, these trials contained a small sample size, were not blinded or lacked a comparator. Furthermore, little information on postoperative hospital stay is provided. This results in ESPB not being widely accepted in lumbar spine surgery. The larger, double-blinded, placebo-controlled methodology in this proposed trial aims to contribute to the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of EPSB in a multimodal analgesia management setting.

Objective: The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the analgesic effect of ESPB on early postoperative pain after lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Therefore the pain intensity in the postoperative care unit upon emergence, using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, will be the primary outcome parameter of this study. The null hypothesis states there is no difference in effectiveness of the ESPB compared to placebo on early postoperative pain intensity measured with NRS in patients that underwent lumbar spinal fusion surgery. This hypothesis will be tested two-sided, with α = 0.05.

Study design: This study is designed as a prospective, mono-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo controlled trial. The study will be performed at the Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The study will be performed in accordance with the ICH E6(R1) Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines. The duration of the study will be determined according to the progress of inclusion. Patients scheduled for elective lumbar spinal fusion surgery will be studied. Subject of investigation is the locoregional anesthetic technique ESPB. Subjects will be randomized to receive either ESPB with a long-acting local anesthetic or normal saline (placebo).

The staff involved (doctors, nurses, OR-personal), as well as the research team and the patient will be blinded for treatment allocation. The study period includes in-hospital time after surgery and follow-up 30 days after surgery. Placement of the ESPB will be performed according to the study protocol, at the end of surgery, after wound closure. The placement of the ESPB is performed according to daily clinical practice as described by Forero et al. Postoperative treatment of patients will be according to standard hospital protocol for lumbar spinal fusion surgery.

Study population: 76 patients undergoing elective lumbar spinal fusion surgery involving one to four fusion levels will be recruited.

Main study parameters/endpoints: Main study parameter is pain intensity upon emergence from anesthesia measured with the Numeric Rating Scale. A minimal clinically important difference is considered to be a decrease of 1.5 points. Secondary endpoints are pain intensity during hospital stay and after 30 days, opioid use during hospital stay and after 30 days, opioid side effects, use of anti-emetics, time to first opioid use/request, length of hospital stay, quality of recovery at discharge.

Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: The Sint Maartenskliniek is experienced in applying locoregional analgesia, the use of ropivacaine and using sonography. The procedure of administering ESPB has a very low risk of complications. Receiving placebo is justifiable because this group will not be withhold standard treatment. The risks of receiving placebo are negligible. The patients will visit the clinic at regular follow-up moments.

Being tested
Ropivacaine Hydrochloride Injection, Sodium chloride
Keywords
Erector spinae block, Lumbar interbody fusion, Regional anesthesia, Postoperative pain
Medical subject headings
Spondylolisthesis, Intervertebral Disc Displacement, Spinal Stenosis, Intervertebral disc disease, Spondylosis, Spinal Diseases, Radiculopathy, Pain, Postoperative

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Ropivacaine Hydrochloride InjectionDrug

    Also called SMPC h104944, Ropivacaine HCl

    Investigating the effectiveness of erector spinae plane block with ropivacaine for lumbar spinal fusion surgery versus placebo.

  • Sodium chlorideDrug

    Also called SMPC h55227, NaCl 0.9%

    Placebo comparator

Study groups in NCT05345249
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ESPB with ropivacaineExperimentalPatients in the experimental group will receive locoregional analgesia via ESPB with injectate consisting of ropivacaine 0.375 mg/mL with no additives, two times 30mL bilaterally at the transverse processs of the T12-vertebra (total dose of 225 mg).
Receives: Drug: Ropivacaine Hydrochloride Injection
ESPB with placeboPlacebo comparatorPatients in the placebo group will receive an injection performed as the procedure of ESPB with injectate consisting of sodiumchloride 0.9% with no additives, two times 30mL bilaterally at the transverse processs of the T12-vertebra.
Receives: Drug: Sodium chloride

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Pain intensity one hour after arrival at post-anesthesia care unit

    Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain 0-10 (0 = no pain, 10 = maximum pain) as asked by PACU-nurse

    Measured: 1 hour after arrival at PACU

Secondary outcomes (10)
  1. Acceptability of pain

    Yes/no

    Measured: 1 hour after arrival at PACU

  2. Opioid use

    total morphine equivalent dose as extracted from the electronic medical file and PCIA pump

    Measured: 0-12 hours, 12-24 hours after surgery

  3. Presence of opioid side effects

    Nausea, vomiting and use of anti-emetics as documented in electronic medical file

    Measured: 12 hours, 24 hours after surgery

  4. Time to first opioid use/request

    defined as minutes

    Measured: 12 hours after surgery

  5. Time to first mobilization

    defined as hours

    Measured: 72 hours after surgery

  6. Length of hospital stay

    defined as days

    Measured: up to 30 days after surgery

  7. Pain intensity

    Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain 0-10 (0 = no pain, 10 = maximum pain)

    Measured: on postoperative admission days, 30 days

  8. Opioid use

    Do you use opioids yes/no

    Measured: 30 days after surgery

  9. Quality of recovery

    Quality of Recovery-15 questionnaire (Dutch version). Score 0-150 (0 = worst recovery, 150 = perfect recovery)

    Measured: Postoperative day 1 and 3

  10. Adverse events

    (Serious) adverse events during study period

    Measured: 0-30 days after surgery

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted25 Apr 2022
  2. Study start1 Jun 2022
  3. Primary completion19 Dec 2023
  4. Study completion19 Jan 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Patients scheduled for elective lumbar spinal fusion surgery will be studied. Subject of investigation is the locoregional anesthetic technique ESPB. Subjects will be randomized to receive either ESPB with a long-acting local anesthetic or normal saline (placebo). The staff involved (doctors, nurses, OR-personal), as well as the research team and the patient will be blinded for treatment allocation. The study period includes in-hospital time after surgery and follow-up 30 days after surgery. Placement of the ESPB will be performed according to the study protocol, at the end of surgery, after wound closure. The placement of the ESPB is performed according to daily clinical practice as described by Forero et al. Postoperative treatment of patients will be according to standard hospital protocol for lumbar spinal fusion surgery.
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
76 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05345249
Sponsor's protocol ID
0984
Other IDs
2021-003679-32, NL9640
Acronym
RCT-ESPB
Status last verified
Apr 2024
First submitted
28 Mar 2022
Last updated
17 Apr 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: DANS EASY will be data repository for open access.

Publications

  • Gerbershagen HJ, Aduckathil S, van Wijck AJ, Peelen LM, Kalkman CJ, Meissner W. Pain intensity on the first day after surgery: a prospective cohort study comparing 179 surgical procedures. Anesthesiology. 2013 Apr;118(4):934-44. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e31828866b3.

    PubMed 23392233
  • Alboog A, Bae S, Chui J. Anesthetic management of complex spine surgery in adult patients: a review based on outcome evidence. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2019 Oct;32(5):600-608. doi: 10.1097/ACO.0000000000000765.

    PubMed 31461735
  • Huang W, Wang W, Xie W, Chen Z, Liu Y. Erector spinae plane block for postoperative analgesia in breast and thoracic surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth. 2020 Nov;66:109900. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2020.109900. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

    PubMed 32502778
  • Qiu Y, Zhang TJ, Hua Z. Erector Spinae Plane Block for Lumbar Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review. J Pain Res. 2020 Jul 1;13:1611-1619. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S256205. eCollection 2020.

    PubMed 32669870
  • Yayik AM, Cesur S, Ozturk F, Ahiskalioglu A, Ay AN, Celik EC, Karaavci NC. Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of the Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block in Patients Undergoing Lumbar Spinal Decompression Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study. World Neurosurg. 2019 Jun;126:e779-e785. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.02.149. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

    PubMed 30853517
  • Singh S, Choudhary NK, Lalin D, Verma VK. Bilateral Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 2020 Oct;32(4):330-334. doi: 10.1097/ANA.0000000000000603.

    PubMed 31033625
  • Forero M, Adhikary SD, Lopez H, Tsui C, Chin KJ. The Erector Spinae Plane Block: A Novel Analgesic Technique in Thoracic Neuropathic Pain. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2016 Sep-Oct;41(5):621-7. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000451.

    PubMed 27501016
  • van de Wijgert IH, Fenten MGE, Rood A, van Boekel RLM, van Hooff ML, Vissers KCP. Erector Spinae Plane Block in Multimodal Analgesia After Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery: A Blinded Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Anesth Analg. 2026 Mar 1;142(3):551-560. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000007611. Epub 2025 Jul 2.

    PubMed 40601485

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Ropivacaine Hydrochloride Injection and Sodium chloride in people with Spondylolisthesis and Lumbar Disc Herniation, run by Ilse van de Wijgert at 1 site in Netherlands.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Apr 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Netherlands. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Pain intensity one hour after arrival at post-anesthesia care unit (time frame: 1 hour after arrival at PACU). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05345249, which also lists 8 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Apr 2024.

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