SynthesisRegional anesthesia and pain medicine2026
Addition of liposomal bupivacaine in brachial plexus blocks: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Regional anesthesia and pain medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- [Adjunctive agents for nerve blocks/local injections in the treatment of zoster-associated pain: A systematic review based on levels of evidence].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy of liposome bupivacaine in transversus abdominis plane blocks for postoperative analgesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Liposomal bupivacaine as an adjunct to bupivacaine-based brachial plexus block in patients undergoing rotator cuff repair: a prospective double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial.BMC anesthesiology · 2025Trial
- Ultrasound-Guided Thoracic Paravertebral Block With Liposomal Versus Standard Bupivacaine for Older Patients After Thoracoscopic Surgery.The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Regional anesthesia strategies for proximal humerus fracture surgery: anatomical considerations, diaphragm-sparing techniques, and expert perspectives-a narrative review.Langenbeck's archives of surgery · 2026Review
- Liposomal bupivacaine vs. Ropivacaine for wound infiltration on chronic postsurgical pain after video-assisted thoracoscopic lung surgery: protocol for a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.Annals of medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdding liposomal bupivacaine to brachial plexus block may improve postoperative analgesia after upper limb surgery.
objectiveThis study aimed to assess the postoperative analgesic efficacy of adding liposomal bupivacaine to brachial plexus block compared with non-liposomal local anesthetic. EVIDENCE REVIEW: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the Cochrane Library up to June 30, 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the postoperative pain scores in patients who received liposomal bupivacaine via brachial plexus block were identified. The primary outcome was resting pain scores (Numerical Rating Scale, 0-10) at 24 hours after nerve block injection derived from the random effects model. A mean difference (MD) of 1/10 was considered to represent a minimal clinically important difference in pain scores. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was applied to examine the level of evidence.
findings21 RCTs (1478 participants) were included. Liposomal bupivacaine was associated with statistically significant reduction in resting pain scores at 24 hours after nerve block injection compared with non-liposomal local anesthetic (MD=-1.04, 95% CI=-1.54 to -0.53, p<0.001, 95% prediction interval=-3.05 to 0.98). This was associated with significant heterogeneity (Q=107, p<0.001, I²=81%, tau
conclusionsThere is low-level evidence that liposomal bupivacaine in brachial plexus block may reduce pain intensity after upper limb surgery, but the clinical significance may be limited.
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Registered trials
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