Comparison of the effectiveness of anesthesia methods on percutaneous kyphoplasty: Erector spinae plane block versus local anesthesia

Abstract

ntroduction: Currently, local or general anesthesia is commonly applied in patients undergoing percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) procedures; however, the best anesthesia method for PKP remains elusive. This study examined the efficacy of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in comparison with local anesthesia in terms of postoperative analgesia requirement and pain scores, in patients undergoing kyphoplasty. Methods: The files of 42 patients who underwent kyphoplasty were retrospectively reviewed. PKP procedure was either under local anesthesia (controls, n=20) or using ultrasound-guided ESPB (ESPB group, n=22). Postoperative analgesia requirement and pain scores assessed by visual analog scale (VAS) were recorded and compared. Result: All control patients (100.0%) required postoperative analgesia, whereas only five patients (22.7%) in the ESPB group required postoperative analgesia (p<0.001). At all time-points, ESPB group had significantly lower VAS scores (p<0.001 for 0, 2, and 6 hours). At two hours, all patients in the ESPB group had 0 VAS score. Conclusion: ESPB as a sole anesthesia technique for kyphoplasty procedures is a promising method that may reduce the need for perioperative analgesia and provide superior postoperative pain management, thus allowing pain-free discharge.