【Abstract】 Background Remifentanil as an ideal ultra-short opioid is widely used in clinical anesthesia.With the deepening research on it, remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia has caused great attention.Recently,there has been large studies exploring the mechanisms of remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia at home and abroad,which best studied is the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in dorsalhorn neurons. Objective The relevant literatures involved in the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia in recent years were summarized,which helps readership to update the latest information about this topic. Content This review provides a comprehensive summary of the definition of hyperalgesia and the signal transduction mechanism of NMDA receptor as well as its progressions in remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia.Those researches suggest that the activation of NMDA receptors play a critical role in the development of opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Trend The mechanism of remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia is complex,fully understanding the effects of NMDA receptors on remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia will provide a wide strategy and prosperity for the prevention of clinical hyperalgesia.