A prospective randomized study to analyze the efficacy of balanced pre-emptive analgesia in spine surgery

100 patients scheduled for one- or two-level lumbar fusion were randomized to receive or not receive pre-emptive analgesia with oral paracetamol, ketorolac, and pregabalin. Assessed outcomes included pain at rest and during movement, patient-controlled analgesia consumption, the Oswestry Disability Index, and the incidence of complications. Primary results demonstrated significantly lower resting pain scores from 4-12 hours and at 36 hours, lower movement pain scores at 24 and 48 hours, and lower PCA consumption over the first 48 hours in the pre-emptive analgesia group.