New long-lasting painkiller may cut opioid use after foot surgery
NCT ID NCT05494645
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
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.
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.
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
-
248 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Mar 2022
- Finished
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Jan 2023
- 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 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: * Adult patients undergoing elective orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery at a single institution * English speaking * Able to provide consent to surgery and study participation Exclusion Criteria: * Non-elective or emergent foot and ankle surgery * Non-english speaking * Does not possess medical decision making capacity
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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
-
St. Luke's University Health Network
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 18015, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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