Trial reportAnnals of medicine2025
Erector spinae plane block spread patterns and its analgesic effects after computed tomography-guided hepatic tumour ablation: a randomized double-blind trial.
Trial report in Annals of medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Impact on analgesia, diaphragmatic function, and recovery between erector spinae plane block versus superior trunk block in arthroscopic shoulder surgery: a randomized controlled trial.Annals of medicine · 2026Trial
- Dexmedetomidine-Ketamine-Based Multimodal General Anesthesia with Electroencephalographic Spectrogram-Guided Titration Improves Early Recovery After Lumbar Spine Fusion in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Trial
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSpread patterns of the erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in a larger cohort of living subjects remain inadequately understood. This study investigated the spread of local anaesthetics or saline with contrast in patients undergoing computed tomography-guided radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tumours. PATIENTS AND
methodsThirty patients participated in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial, 14 April 2021 and 18 January 2023. These patients were randomized into two groups: the ESPB group, which received local anaesthetic with contrast, and the sham group, which received saline with contrast. The spread of the drug was assessed regarding vertebral levels and its correlation with the patient characteristics. Pain intensity and morphine consumption were also evaluated.
resultsThe ESPB consistently spread cranio-caudally to the dorsal erector spinae muscle in all patients, with a median (IQR) spread of 9 (8-11) vertebral levels, and to the intercostal space with a median (IQR) spread of 4 (3-6) vertebral levels. Paravertebral spread occurred in 90% of patients (27 out of 30) with a median (IQR) spread of 3 (2-5) vertebral levels, while epidural spread was observed in 36.7% of patients (11 out of 30) with a median (IQR) spread of 0 (0-2) vertebral levels. Cranio-caudal spread negatively correlated with back muscle thickness (
conclusionThis study provides insights into the drug spread patterns of ESPB in living subjects. However, a unilateral ESPB did not yield sufficient analgesic effects for radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tumours.
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