Efficacy of Postoperative Analgesia by Erector Spinal Plane Block after Lumbar Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND: In recent years, erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has been increasingly used as a new regional block technique for postoperative analgesia; however, little is known on its benefits. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of ESPB in lumbar spine surgery. METHODS: Databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing ESPB with no block in lumbar spine surgery until September 30, 2021. The primary outcome was opioid consumption after surgery. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. RESULTS: Fifteen RCTs involving 980 patients were included in the study. Opioid consumption 24 hours after surgery was significantly lower in the ESPB group standardized mean difference (SMD = −2.27, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) (-3.21, -1.32); p < 0.01). ESPB reduced pain scores at rest and on movement within 48 hours after surgery and the incidence of the postoperative rescue analgesia (RR = 0.32, 95% CI (0.31, 0.80); p = 0.02), while it significantly prolonged time to first rescue analgesia (SMD = 4.87, 95% CI (2.84, 6.90); p < 0.01). Moreover, significantly better patient satisfaction was associated with ESPB (SMD = 1.89, 95% CI (1.03, 2.74); p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: EPSB provides effective and safe postoperative analgesia after lumbar spine surgery.