Spine surgery pain relief: which additive works best?
NCT ID NCT06233617
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether adding dexamethasone or dexmedetomidine to a standard nerve block (erector spinae plane block) could extend pain relief after spine surgery. 90 adults undergoing lumbar spine surgery received one of the two additives or a placebo. The main goal was to see how long it took before patients needed opioid painkillers. The results could help improve pain management and reduce opioid use after surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine (added to a local anesthetic nerve block)
- What this could lead to
- If one drug works better, it could help patients stay pain-free longer after spine surgery and reduce the need for strong painkillers like opioids.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-center study with 90 people. The results may not apply to everyone, and the drugs may not show a meaningful difference in pain relief.
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
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
90 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Mar 2024
- Finished
-
Jan 2026
- 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 to 100 years
- 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 Hide 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: * patients undergoing primary posterior lumbar decompression and stabilization with instrumentation involving multi-levels in the lumbar region, * aged \>18 years and \<100 years * ASA physical status 1, 2 or 3. Exclusion Criteria: * refuse to participate, * history of opioid abuse, * infection of the puncture site, * aged \<18 years and \>100 years * ASA 4 and 5
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Poznan University of Medical Sciences
Poznan, Poznań, 61-701, Poland
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- A nerve block that spares arm movement tested for shoulder surgery pain
- Could a nerve block replace opioids for severe belly pain in the ER?
- Can a common anesthetic stop Post-Surgery delirium in the elderly?
- Can ultrasound dye reveal spinal cord damage Mid-Surgery?
- Could lying a certain way after a nerve block double its pain relief?
- Can a targeted nerve block cut opioid use after spine surgery?