New long-lasting painkiller may cut opioid use after foot surgery
NCT ID NCT05494645
First seen May 12, 2026 · Last updated Jun 19, 2026 · Updated 8 times
Summary
This study tested whether a long-acting painkiller called Exparel (liposomal bupivacaine) works better than the standard version for numbing the foot and ankle during and after surgery. About 248 adults having elective foot or ankle surgery received either Exparel or standard bupivacaine in a nerve block. Researchers measured how long the block lasted and how many opioid pain pills patients needed by day four after surgery.
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This is a summary of
the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Contacts and locations
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Locations
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St. Luke's University Health Network
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 18015, United States
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Exparel (liposomal bupivacaine)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could mean better pain control and less need for opioid pills after foot or ankle surgery.
What could go wrong
This is a single-center Phase 4 trial with 248 participants, so results may not apply to all patients or surgeries. The benefit over standard bupivacaine may be small or absent.
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.