Riassunto dello studio

Eighty-eight Hispanic patients undergoing elective posterior lumbar spinal fusion for lumbar stenosis were randomized to receive either a multimodal analgesia protocol (MMA; n=43) or a standard opioid-based regimen (n=45). The primary outcome of interest was postoperative opioid consumption measured in morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). Secondary outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively and length of hospital stay. Outcomes were assessed at 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the MMA group had significantly lower opioid use at 12 and 24 hours and reported lower VAS scores at all postoperative time points. The length of stay did not differ between groups. These findings suggest that an MMA protocol is effective in reducing early postoperative opioid use and pain intensity without prolonging hospitalization.