Research progress on the application of fascial plane blocks in postoperative pain management in spinal surgery

Postoperative pain after spine surgery (POPSS) is a critical issue that affects patient recovery and quality of life, increasing the risk of complications such as thrombosis. The side effects of traditional pain management methods, such as intravenous opioid administration, limit their clinical application. Therefore, it has become essential to explore and investigate new pain management strategies. We conducted a review of the relevant literature on fascial plane blocks (FPBs) in postoperative pain management after spine surgery, sourced from CNKI and PubMed, with a search period from June 25, 2020, to April 20, 2025. Additionally, we manually examined the references of the included studies to identify any potentially overlooked literature. The review findings indicate that FPBs are a novel regional anesthesia technique and a key component of multimodal analgesia. With precise analgesic effects, ease of operation, high safety, and few complications, FPBs have become a research focus in postoperative pain management for spine surgery. This article provides a comprehensive review of the characteristics of postoperative spine pain, the anatomical basis of FPBs, clinical research progress, controversial studies and limitations, as well as future research directions, aiming to offer valuable references for both clinical practice and research.