Study Summary

120 patients undergoing surgery for thoracic or lumbar vertebral fractures were randomized to receive sublingual buprenorphine or intravenous pethidine. All patients received intravenous acetaminophen preoperatively. The outcome of interest was postoperative pain severity measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Outcomes were assessed preoperatively, immediately after surgery, and at 12 and 24 hours postoperatively. Overall, the results of the study revealed that postoperative pain increased immediately after surgery and then gradually declined over the first 24 hours in both groups, with no significant differences between treatments. These findings suggest that sublingual buprenorphine provides analgesia comparable to intravenous pethidine following vertebral fracture surgery while offering a potentially safer and more convenient administration route.