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Can a targeted nerve block cut opioid use after spine surgery?

NCT ID NCT04233736

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled This study
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 01, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether a bilateral erector spinae plane block, an ultrasound-guided injection near the spine, can reduce pain and opioid use after lumbar or lumbo-sacral spine surgery. Half of the participants receive the block, while the other half receive a sham procedure. Researchers measure pain scores and opioid consumption during the hospital stay to see if the block helps.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Bilateral lumbar erector spinae plane block, an ultrasound-guided injection near the spine to numb nerves and ease pain
What this could lead to
If effective, this nerve block could offer a way to control pain after spine surgery with less reliance on opioids.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage trial with a small number of participants, and the block may not reduce pain or opioid use as hoped. Risks include nerve damage, bleeding, or infection at the injection site.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Started

Jul 2021

Expected to finish

Jan 2022

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Spine surgery at or below the L1 vertebral level * Midline surgical approach Exclusion Criteria: * Previous lumbar or lumbo-sacral surgery with or without hardware placement * Evidence of dura pathology (including CSF leak) * Spine tumor * Non-English speaking

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Erector spinae plane block Lumbar spine surgery

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of California San Francisco

    San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

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