Authors, Author Information and Article Contact

Aadit Shah¹, MD; Eduard P. Pey², BA; Stephen Bowen¹, MD; James Barsi¹, MD

¹Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Stony Brook University ²Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University

Disclosure Statement: None of the authors has any funding sources, commercial, or financial conflicts of interest to declare.

Keywords

Scoliosis, spinal fusion, postoperative analgesia

Abstract

Many post-operative analgesic options exist after a posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, with newer interventions gaining attention. It is unclear which provide the most benefit. The aim of this current concept review is to document efficacy, safety and quality of evidence of analgesic interventions after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Potent analgesia with IV opioids or epidural anesthesia remains the cornerstone of postoperative analgesia following PSF for AIS. A diverse set of analgesic adjuvants are under investigation with promising results, including GABA-analogues, intrathecal anesthesia, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen, ketamine, spinal nerve block, alpha 2 agonists, glucocorticoids and muscle relaxants. Psychiatric interventions and patient education were also evaluated.

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