Ultrasound guided Suprascapular nerve block compared with intravenous fentanyl for analgesia in patients with traumatic scapular fractures: An open label prospective randomized controlled trial

This study will be the first of its kind in one of the India’s high flow Emergency department.

Scapular fractures are common and extremely painful which are frequently associated with dangerous injuries involving the thorax and craniospinal axis. These are usually caused by high energy dangerous mechanisms. Scapular fractures are usually treated conservatively with immobilization and physiotherapy and adequate analgesia. However, these painful scapular fractures prevent adequate movement of the shoulder girdle and hence physiotherapy cannot be performed adequately hence delaying the healing time associated with scapular fractures. Hence, clinical suspicion and prompt identification and adequate analgesia is required for treating these fractures.  Analgesia with IV medications including NSAIDS, opioids have their own systemic side effects. The ultrasound guided suprascapular nerve block is an emerging modality for scapular fracture pain management in the ED that ensures precise drug delivery and minimizes complications. Although both ultrasound guided nerve block and IV analgesics have been reported to exhibit admirable analgesic efficacy for traumatic pain, their analgesic efficacy and patient satisfaction have not been compared in emergency settings. Optimal pain management is an essential quality of care indicator in Emergency settings

 There is a scarcity of medical literature (only case report) on the use of ultrasound guided suprascapular nerve block for scapular fractures.

Hence the main aim of this study is to assess the analgesic efficacy of suprascapular nerve block, it’s complications and outcomes compared to IV analgesics for traumatic scapular fractures in a randomized controlled study.