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The Effect of Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) on Pediatric Pain Management Following Posterior Spinal Fusion (PSF) Surgery

The Effect of Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) on Pediatric Pain Management Following Posterior Spinal Fusion (PSF) Surgery

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07561827
Acronym
ESPB
Enrollment
42
Registered
2026-05-01
Start date
2025-06-06
Completion date
2027-01-26
Last updated
2026-05-01

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

Conditions

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), Neuromuscular Scoliosis, Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Keywords

posterior spinal fusion, pain management

Brief summary

This study is being done to better understand the efficacy of an erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in pain management for children with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis or Neuromuscular Scoliosis undergoing Posterior Spinal Fusion surgery. The study team is trying to find out if receiving the ESPB leads to less pain and less need for pain medication after surgery. The ESPB involves an injection of a local anesthetic, ropivacaine, into your child's back muscles to help block pain signals.

Interventions

This drug is approved as a local anesthetic.

Sponsors

University of California, San Francisco
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Diagnosis of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) or neuromuscular scoliosis * Undergoing Posterior Spinal Fusion (PSF) Surgery

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with forms of scoliosis other than AIS or NM Scoliosis. * Patients undergoing a spinal deformity correction surgery other than Posterior Spinal Fusion Surgery * Allergy or other contraindication to erector spinae plane block (ESPB) with Ropivacaine patients who are taking pre-operative opioids

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Compare Oral Morphine Equivalents and Benzodiazepine Doses used in the first 72 hours after surgery among patients who have a ESPB with standard postoperative pain protocols versus those with standard protocols alone.Change from Baseline to 72 hours after surgery.Institutional pain management protocol: patients have a hydromorphone patient-controlled analgesia pump until post-operative day 1 and as needed (PO) methadone two times a day, as well as PO oxycodone every 4 hours as needed for moderate pain and IV hydromorphone every 2 hours as needed for severe pain. PO diazepam is available every 6 hours for muscle spasms. The oral morphine equivalents and benzodiazepine doses used in the first 72 hours after surgery will be the primary method of assessing postoperative pain and muscle spasms respectively.
Evaluate if combining ESPBs with standard postoperative pain protocols reduce postoperative pain scores in the first 24 hours postoperatively as compared to standard protocols alone.From Baseline to 24 hours after surgery.Pain will be measured on a numerical scale from zero to ten, with zero being no pain at all and ten being the worst pain you have ever felt. Scores will be gathered at multiple time points the day of surgery, and post-op day 1, 2 and 3. We will take the average pain score. These numerical pain scores will be the secondary method of assessing postoperative pain.
Assess time to clearance from physical therapy among patients who have a ESPB with standard postoperative pain protocols versus those with standard protocols alone.From postoperative day 1 to physical therapy clearance.Time to clearance from physical therapy (PT) is a measure that demonstrates the amount of time required to obtain a functional level of mobilization after surgery. This mobilization is often pain limited. For neuromuscular patients with mobility limitations, aim 3 will be measured based on when patients are cleared by PT for safe discharge home. We will measure time to clearance in both groups.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTTripta Rughwani
tripta.rughwani@ucsf.edu415-353-4701
CONTACTStephanie Chu
stephanie.chu4@ucsf.edu415-353-1454
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORIshaan Swarup, MD

University of California, San Francisco

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 2, 2026