Safety and Efficacy of Pre-incisional Intravenous Ibuprofen to Reduce Postoperative Pain and Opioid Dependence After Posterior Cervical or Lumbar Instrumented Spine Surgery

A prospective, randomized, placebo controlled, double-blinded study at a single institution.

Pain medicine literature and the principal investigator's anecdotal experience in posterior cervical and lumbar instrumented spine surgery suggest that pre-incisional IV ibuprofen significantly reduces postoperative pain without increasing surgical complications or fusion rate, which leads to earlier ambulation, less dependence on narcotic medications, shorter hospital stays, and earlier return to work. The purpose of this study is to assess if these anecdotal findings hold true in a randomized clinical trial of patients with cervical or lumbar spondylosis, who are undergoing decompression and instrumented fusion of the spine.