Can Liposomal Bupivacaine Be Safely Utilized in Elective Spine Surgery?

59 patients with degenerative spondylosis scheduled for elective open posterior lumbar decompression and instrumented fusion were randomized to receive a pre-wound closure injection of liposomal bupivacaine (266mg) or placebo for the treatment of post-operative pain. The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of adverse events. The secondary outcome of interest was the length of hospital stay. Results from the study revealed no significant differences in the incidence of adverse events between the liposomal bupivacaine and placebo groups. Similarly, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the length of hospitalization.