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An mTLIP Block for Analgesia Management After Lumbar Spinal Surgery.

A Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Modified-Thoracolumbar Interfacial Plane Block and Wound Infiltration for Postoperative Pain Management in Lumbar Spinal Surgery Patients

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03967314
Enrollment
60
Registered
2019-05-30
Start date
2019-01-01
Completion date
2019-04-30
Last updated
2019-05-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Lumbar Disc Herniation

Keywords

Lumbar spinal surgery, Postoperative pain management, Modified thoracolumbar interfacial plane block

Brief summary

Pain management is an important issue following lumbar spinal surgery. Wound infiltration is a technique that a local anesthetic solution is infiltrated into the tissues around the surgical area. Modified thoracolumbar interfacial plane (mTLIP) block was described by Ahiskalioglu et al. In this study, the investigators aimed to compare the analgesic efficacy of the US-guided mTLIP block and wound infiltration following lumbar disc surgery.

Detailed description

Spinal surgery in the lumbar region is one of the most common surgeries performed for leg and back pain. Postlumbar surgery pain can be severe and may progress to chronic pain during the postoperative period. Therefore, pain management is important after lumbar spinal surgery. Effective postoperative pain management enables early mobilization and shorter durations of hospital stays and may also reduce hospitalization-related complications, such as infections and thromboembolism. There are a variety of techniques for postoperative pain management. These include intravenous-intramuscular injections, patient-controlled analgesia devices, local anesthetic infiltration, and regional anesthesia. Among these techniques, intramuscular and intravenous (IV) injections may be ineffective in pain management, as they are generally administered after the pain has commenced. In addition, intermittent treatment with analgesic agents may not result in a therapeutic level in the blood. The most common analgesic agents used postoperatively are opioids. However, parenteral opioids may result in undesirable adverse events, such as nausea, vomiting, itching, sedation, and respiratory depression. Various methods are available to reduce the use of systemic opioids in postoperative pain management, one of which is local anesthetic infiltration (wound infiltration) into the operation site. Several studies reported that wound infiltration can reduce opioid consumption following surgery. Various regional anesthesia techniques can also be used to manage postoperative pain. Such techniques have a high success rate, especially if they are applied with ultrasound (US) guidance, as US improves visualization, thereby reducing potential complications. Previous research reported that US-guided modified thoracolumbar interfacial plane (mTLIP) block after lumbar spinal surgery via a lateral approach provided effective analgesia. No studies seem to have compared the analgesic effectiveness of wound infiltration versus TLIP block. In this study, the investigators compared the analgesic efficacy of the US-guided mTLIP block and wound infiltration following lumbar disc surgery. The primary aim was to compare postoperative opioid consumption. The secondary aim was to evaluate postoperative pain scores and adverse effects of opioids, such as allergic reactions, nausea, and vomiting.

Interventions

OTHERTLIP block group (group T)

In group T, the block was performed bilaterally under aseptic conditions using the US device with a high-frequency 12-MHz linear US probe. The probe was covered with a sterile sheath and placed vertically at the L3 vertebrae level. After visualizing the hyperechoic shadow of the spinous process and interspinous muscles as an anatomical guide point, the probe was moved forward in a lateral direction to visualize the longissimus and iliocostal muscles. Using the in-plane technique, a 22-G, 50-mm block needle was inserted between the muscles in a medial-to-lateral direction in the interfascial plane. Once the needle tip was placed within the interfacial plane and after careful aspiration to rule out intravascular needle placement, 2 ml of saline was injected to confirm the accuracy of the injection site. A dose of 0.25% bupivacaine (20 ml) was then injected in each side (total 40 ml).

OTHERWound infiltration group (group W)

In group W, a dose of 0.5% bupivacaine (20 ml) was injected for wound infiltration into the surgery site.

Sponsors

Medipol University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Outcomes Assessor and participant were blinded to the study

Intervention model description

The patients were aged 18-65 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification I-II, and scheduled for lumbar disc surgery under general anesthesia. The patients were randomly divided into two groups using a randomizing computer program: a TLIP block group (group T) and a wound infiltration group (group W), with 30 patients in each group).

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification I-II * Scheduled for lumbar discectomy/hemilaminectomy surgery under general anesthesia

Exclusion criteria

* Bleeding diathesis * Receiving anticoagulant treatment * Known local anesthetics and opioid allergy * Infection of the skin at the site of the needle puncture * Pregnancy or lactation * Patients who do not accept the procedure

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Opioid consumption by the patients at postoperative 24 hours periodPostoperative 24 hoursFentanyl using

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Postoperative pain scoresPostoperative 24 hours periodPostoperative pain assessment will be performed using the VAS score (0 = no pain, 10 = the most severe pain felt). The VAS scores at rest and during cough will be recorded at postoperative 0, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 24 hours.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026