Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Pain Control in Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Surgery

April 6, 2026 updated by: Kazi Mahzabin Arin, Bangladesh Medical University

Estimation of Intraoperative Anaesthetic Drug Requirement in General Anaesthesia With or Without Erector Spinae Plane Block in Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Surgery

This clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block as an adjunct to general anesthesia for managing postoperative pain in patients undergoing lumbar spondylolisthesis surgery. The study will compare two groups: one receiving general anesthesia with ESP block (intervention group) and the other receiving general anesthesia alone (control group). The primary objective is to assess postoperative pain relief, opioid consumption, and hemodynamic stability. Secondary outcomes include adverse events and recovery quality. This trial will provide valuable insights into the efficacy of ESP block in improving recovery outcomes and reducing opioid use in spine surgery patients.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is designed as a quasi-experimental trial to investigate the efficacy of the ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block in combination with general anesthesia for postoperative pain management in patients undergoing lumbar spondylolisthesis surgery. This clinical trial will recruit 50 adult patients scheduled for elective lumbar spine surgery, who are assigned to either the intervention or control group.

Intervention Group (Group B): Patients will receive ultrasound-guided ESP block as an adjunct to standard general anesthesia.

Control Group (Group A): Patients will receive general anesthesia without the erector spinae plane (ESP) block.

The trial will evaluate pain control (measured by Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] scores), opioid consumption, and hemodynamic parameters (such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation). Additionally, postoperative recovery quality, the incidence of adverse events, and any potential complications associated with the erector spinae plane (ESP) block will be monitored and compared between groups.

This trial also aims to assess whether the use of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block can reduce opioid consumption, improve hemodynamic stability, and enhance recovery quality in the postoperative period.

The study will be conducted at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), Dhaka, with all ethical considerations adhered to, and informed consent will be obtained from all participants before enrollment. Participants will be followed for 24 hours post-surgery, with monitoring at several time points to assess the primary and secondary outcomes.

The results of this study are expected to provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the erector spinae plane (ESP block) in improving surgical outcomes, reducing opioid use, and enhancing recovery after lumbar spine surgery.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

50

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • Bangladesh
      • Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1000
        • Bangladesh Medical University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Patient undergoing lumbar spondylolisthesis surgery.
  2. Elective procedures.
  3. Age between 18 to 64 years.
  4. American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status 1 and 2.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patient refusal.
  2. Body Mass Index (BMI) >35 kg/m2
  3. Coagulopathy or bleeding disorders.
  4. Allergy to any of the study drugs.
  5. Substance abuse or dependence or previous history of opioid addiction.
  6. Patients with central nervous system disease, severe cardiovascular system disease, hepatic disease or renal disease.
  7. Local infection or inflammation at the site of block placement.

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Control Group: General Anesthesia Without Erector Spinae Plane Block
Control Group: General Anesthesia Without Erector Spinae Plane Block In this group, patients will receive standard general anesthesia without the addition of an ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block. This arm will serve as the comparison group to assess the impact of the ESP block on postoperative pain and recovery outcomes.
Procedure: Control Group: General Anesthesia Without Erector Spinae Plane Block
Intervention Type: Drug - General Anesthesia Description: Patients will receive general anesthesia using standard anesthetic agents (e.g., propofol, fentanyl, and isoflurane) without the addition of a regional block. No erector spinae plane (ESP) block will be performed.
Experimental: Intervention Group: General Anesthesia With Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block
Intervention Group: General Anaesthesia With Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) Block In this group, patients will receive general anaesthesia in combination with an ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block. The aim is to evaluate whether adding the ESP block improves postoperative pain control, reduces opioid consumption, and enhances hemodynamic stability during and after lumbar spondylolisthesis surgery.
Procedure: Intervention Group: General Anesthesia With Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block
Description: Patients will receive general anesthesia in combination with an ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block. The ESP block will be performed at the L3-L5 vertebral level using a 22-gauge needle, with 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine and 5 mg dexamethasone administered bilaterally under sterile conditions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intraoperative Opioid Requirements (Fentanyl in micrograms)
Time Frame: Throughout the duration of surgery.
The total amount of opioid (fentanyl in microgram) administered during surgery. The goal is to evaluate the opioid consumption required to maintain adequate analgesia during the procedure.
Throughout the duration of surgery.
Intraoperative Inhalational Anaesthetic (Isoflurane in ml/hour) Agent Requirements
Time Frame: Throughout the duration of surgery
Description: The total consumption of inhalational anesthetic agents (Isoflurane in ml/hour) during the surgical procedure. This measure will help assess the inhalational anaesthetic requirement between groups.
Throughout the duration of surgery
Intraoperative Muscle Relaxant (vecuronium in mg) Requirements
Time Frame: Throughout the duration of surgery
The total dose of muscle relaxant (vecuronium, in mg) is administered to maintain muscle relaxation during surgery. This will be compared between the two groups.
Throughout the duration of surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Intraoperative heart rate (HR)
Time Frame: Recorded at 15-minute intervals during the surgery
Recorded at 15-minute intervals during the surgery
Intraoperative Systolic Blood Pressure (mmHg)
Time Frame: Recorded at 15-minute intervals during the surgery
Recorded at 15-minute intervals during the surgery
Intraoperative diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)
Time Frame: Recorded at 15-minute intervals during the surgery
Recorded at 15-minute intervals during the surgery
Intraoperative Mean Arterial Pressure (mmHg)
Time Frame: Recorded at 15-minute intervals during the surgery
Recorded at 15-minute intervals during the surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Bangladesh Medical University

Investigators

  • Study Director: AKM Akhtaruzzaman, MD, Bangladesh Medical University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

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)

June 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 30, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

November 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 31, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 31, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 6, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 4975

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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