Dexamethasone vs. Dexmedetomidine for ESPB in Pain Management After Knee Arthroplasty

March 24, 2026 updated by: Poznan University of Medical Sciences

Dexamethasone vs. Dexmedetomidine for ESPB in Pain Management After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Effect of perineurial dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine on erector spinal plane block duration for knee arthroplasty

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

Detailed Description

This study is proposed to explore the effect of perineurial Dexamethasone and Dexmedetomidine on erector spinal plane block duration for knee surgery.

After knee surgery, patients need good analgesia. Peripheral nerve blocks have provided a safe, effective method to control early postoperative pain when symptoms are most severe.

Local anaesthesia's much lower toxicity threshold makes it essential for its safety. An effective adjuvant, such as Dexamethasone or Dexmedetomidine, could allow for a higher dilution of local anaesthetics while maintaining and enhancing their analgesic effect.

There is considerable research comparing intravenous and perineural dexamethasone and Dexmedetomidine use in orthopaedic surgeries. However, there is a massive lack of research regarding knee surgery and the Erector Spine Plane Block.

In this study, investigators compare perineural Dexamethasone and Dexmedetomidine.

The investigator aims to find a dexamethasone or dexmedetomidine that covers the need for good pain relief and fast recovery postoperatively.

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 (Actual)

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.
90

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.
  • Phase 4

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 Contact Backup

  • Name: Malgorzata Domagalska, M.D. Ph.D.
  • Phone Number: +48 61 8738327

Study Locations

  • Poland
    • Poznań
      • Poznan, Poznań, Poland, 61-701
        • Poznan University of Medical Sciences

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty
  • aged >18 years and <100 years
  • ASA physical status 1, 2 or 3.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • if they refused to participate,
  • had a history of opioid abuse,
  • had an infection of the site of needle puncture,
  • were less than 18 years of age,
  • were postponed as having ASA 4 or 5,
  • had an allergy to any of the drugs used in the study,
  • renal failure (estimated glomerular filtration rate <15ml/min/1.73m2),
  • liver failure,
  • known or suspected coagulopathy,
  • pre-existing anatomical or neurological disorders in the lower extremities,
  • intellectual disability with problems in pain evaluation,
  • severe psychiatric illness.

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: Dexamethasone
0.2% ropivacaine + 4mg Dexamethasone for erector spinae plane block
Drug: Dexamethasone
unilateral administration of 20ml of 0,2% ropivacaine with 4mg Dexamethasone for the erector spine plane block
Other Names:
  • erector spinae plane block
Experimental: Dexmedetomidine
0.2% ropivacaine + 50ug Dexmedetomidine for erector spinae plane block
Drug: Dexmedetomidine
unilateral administration of 20ml of 0,2% ropivacaine with 50ug Dexmedetomidine for the erector spine plane block
Other Names:
  • erector spinae plane block
Placebo Comparator: Control group
0.2% ropivacaine for erector spinae plane block
Drug: 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection
unilateral administration of 20ml of 0,2% ropivacaine + 2ml 0.9% sodium chloride for the erector spine plane block
Other Names:
  • placebo erector spinae plane block

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
first need of opiate
Time Frame: 48 hours after surgery
Time after surgery when the patient needs opiate for the first time
48 hours after surgery

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
Numerical Rating Scale [range 0:10]
Time Frame: 4 hours after surgery
NRS (Numerical Rating Scale; 0 - no pain; 10 - the worst pain ever)
4 hours after surgery
Numerical Rating Scale [range 0:10]
Time Frame: 8 hours after surgery
NRS (Numerical Rating Scale; 0 - no pain; 10 - the worst pain ever)
8 hours after surgery
Numerical Rating Scale [range 0:10]
Time Frame: 12 hours after surgery
NRS (Numerical Rating Scale; 0 - no pain; 10 - the worst pain ever)
12 hours after surgery
Numerical Rating Scale [range 0:10]
Time Frame: 16 hours after surgery
NRS (Numerical Rating Scale; 0 - no pain; 10 - the worst pain ever)
16 hours after surgery
Numerical Rating Scale [range 0:10]
Time Frame: 20 hours after surgery
NRS (Numerical Rating Scale; 0 - no pain; 10 - the worst pain ever)
20 hours after surgery
Numerical Rating Scale [range 0:10]
Time Frame: 24 hours after surgery
NRS (Numerical Rating Scale; 0 - no pain; 10 - the worst pain ever)
24 hours after surgery
Numerical Rating Scale [range 0:10]
Time Frame: 36 hours after surgery
NRS (Numerical Rating Scale; 0 - no pain; 10 - the worst pain ever)
36 hours after surgery
Numerical Rating Scale [range 0:10]
Time Frame: 48 hours after surgery
NRS (Numerical Rating Scale; 0 - no pain; 10 - the worst pain ever)
48 hours after surgery
Opioid consumption
Time Frame: 48 hours after surgery
Total opioid consumption after surgery
48 hours after surgery
Nerve damage [range 0-4]
Time Frame: 12 hours after surgery
Nerve damage assesment will be performed using the nerve damage score (N0- no nerve damage; N1- minor - sensory paresthesia; N2- major -complete sensory anesthesia; N3- Complete- complete motor defect with or without paraesthesia; N4-CRPS- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
12 hours after surgery
Nerve damage [range 0-4]
Time Frame: 24 hours after surgery
Nerve damage assesment will be performed using the nerve damage score (N0- no nerve damage; N1- minor - sensory paresthesia; N2- major -complete sensory anesthesia; N3- Complete- complete motor defect with or without paraesthesia; N4-CRPS- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
24 hours after surgery
Nerve damage [range 0-4]
Time Frame: 48 hours after surgery
Nerve damage assesment will be performed using the nerve damage score (N0- no nerve damage; N1- minor - sensory paresthesia; N2- major -complete sensory anesthesia; N3- Complete- complete motor defect with or without paraesthesia; N4-CRPS- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
48 hours after 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.
Poznan University of Medical Sciences

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.
  • Study Chair: Malgorzata Domagalska, M.D. PhD., Poznań University of Medical Science

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.
August 13, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
March 3, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

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.
March 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).
June 17, 2024

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.
June 17, 2024

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.
June 24, 2024

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.
March 30, 2026

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.
March 24, 2026

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.
June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 107/24

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual patient data will be available two years following the completion of the trial

IPD Sharing Time Frame

2 years after finish study

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

elligible researchers

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

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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