ESP Block Versus Wound Infiltration for Laminectomy

June 20, 2025 updated by: Federico Geraldini, University of Padova

ESP Block Versus Wound Infiltration for Laminectomy: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Spinal surgery is often burdened by perioperative pain and its treatment presently represents a challenge for anesthetists. An inadequate intra and postoperative analgesic therapy leads to a delay in the mobilization of the patients, prolonged hospital stay and thromboembolic complications, as well as the onset of chronic pain syndromes . Effective pain treatment can help improve surgical outcome for patients undergoing spinal surgery. From the pathophysiological point of view pain in vertebral surgery can originate from different anatomical structures: vertebrae, discs, ligaments, dura mater, facet joints, muscles and skin-subcutis. The terminal innervation of these tissues originate from the dorsal branches of the spinal nerves, and this represents a target a multimodal approach to perioperative analgesia in vertebral surgery. Systemically administered drugs such as NSAIDs, opioids, ketamine, intravenous lidocaine could benefit from the addition of locoregional therapies such as neuraxial blocks (anesthesia peridural or subarachnoid) or as shown more recently by other anesthesia techniques locoregional ultrasound-guided In recent years the anesthesiological interest has focused on the Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB). First described by Forero et al, it is a paraspinal interfascial block targeting the dorsal and ventral branches of the spinal nerves just after their emergence from the spinal cord. In the ultrasound-guided technique the local anesthetic is injected between the deep fascia of the muscle itself and the transverse processes of the vertebrae at the level interested. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ESPB when compared to wound infiltration in patients undergoing laminectomy

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
112

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Veneto
      • Padova, Veneto, Italy, 35127
        • Recruiting
        • University Hospital Of Padova
        • Contact:
          • Alessandro De Cassai, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

-Planned 1 or 2 level surgical laminectomy

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Allergy to local anesthetics
  • Refusal of consent
  • Uncompensated cardiopathies, nephropathies, liver disease or peripheral neuropathies
  • Hemopathies that predispose to bleeding
  • Gastrointestinal ulcer or bleeding
  • Local infection
  • Psychiatric or neurological disorders (except those attributed to primary disease for which intervention is planned) History of abuse (or use in the 24 hours prior to surgery) Alcohol addiction ASA > 3

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: ESP block
Patient will receive ESP block one level above surgery with ropivacaine 0.35% 20 ml per side Patient will receive preoperative wound infiltration with Saline 40 ml
Drug: Wound infiltration with saline
Blinded injection of saline in the skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscles at the site of surgical incision
Drug: ESP block with local anesthetic
Bilateral ultrasound guided injection of local anesthetic (ropivacaine 0.35%, 40ml) in the erector spinae plane (below erector spinae plane muscle group and above the tranverse process of the vertebra)
Other Names:
  • Erector spinae plane block
Active Comparator: Wound infiltration
Patient will receive ESP block one level above surgery with Saline 20 ml per side Patient will receive preoperative wound infiltration with ropivacaine 0.35% 40 ml
Drug: ESP block with saline
Bilateral ultrasound guided injection of saline in the erector spinae plane (below erector spinae plane muscle group and above the transverse process of the vertebra)
Other Names:
  • Erector spinae plane block
Drug: Wound infiltration with local anesthetic
Blinded injection of local anestetic (ropivacaine 0.35%, 40ml) in the skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscles at the site of surgical incision.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Tramadol consumption
Time Frame: Evaluated from extubation for the first post-operative 24 hours
Postoperative tramadol consumption
Evaluated from extubation for the first post-operative 24 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain 0 hours
Time Frame: At extubation
Pain measured with Numeric Rating Scale (0-10)
At extubation
Pain 6 hours
Time Frame: 6 hours after end of surgery
Pain measured with Numeric Rating Scale (0-10)
6 hours after end of surgery
Pain 12 hours
Time Frame: 12 hours after end of surgery
Pain measured with Numeric Rating Scale (0-10)
12 hours after end of surgery
Pain 24 hours
Time Frame: 24 hours after end of surgery
Pain measured with Numeric Rating Scale (0-10)
24 hours after end of surgery
Time to first analgesic requirement
Time Frame: 24 hours after end of surgery
Time in minutes to first analgesic requirement
24 hours after end of surgery
Incidence of post operative nausea-vomiting
Time Frame: 24 hours after end of surgery
Incidence of post operative nausea-vomiting
24 hours after end of surgery
Incidence of post operative respiratory depression
Time Frame: 24 hours after end of surgery
Incidence of post operative respiratory depression
24 hours after end of surgery
Incidence of post operative pruritus
Time Frame: 24 hours after end of surgery
Incidence of post operative pruritus
24 hours after end of surgery
Incidence of post operative motor block
Time Frame: 24 hours after end of surgery
Incidence of post operative motor block
24 hours after end of surgery
Intraoperative opioid consumption
Time Frame: At extubation
Intraoperative difference in consumption of fentanyl.
At extubation
Evaluation of patient satisfaction
Time Frame: 24 hours after end of surgery
Evaluation of patient satisfaction of analgesia on a numeric rating score from 0-10.
24 hours after end of surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Padova

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Federico Geraldini, MD, University Hospital Of Padova

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 23, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 20, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 23, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 26, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 9, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 26, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 20, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 5211/AO/21

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

IPD will be shared on reasonable request after ethical committee request examination

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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