Since their introduction into clinical practice 18 years ago, spinal (unless specified otherwise, the term spinal has been used as a generic equivalent to both epidural and subarachnoid administration routes) opioids have achieved great international popularity in a variety of clinical settings, either as sole analgesic agents or in combination with lowdose local anaesthetics. Judging from the literature during the past year, the technique continues to be particularly popular for postoperative and labour pain. The few studies selected in this review highlight the important trends.