MedPath

Interscalene Block Versus Combined Infraclavicular-Anterior Suprascapular Blocks for Shoulder Surgery

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Shoulder Pain
Pain, Postoperative
Diaphragmatic Paralysis
Surgical Procedure, Unspecified
Interventions
Procedure: Infraclavicular - Anterior Supraescapular Nerve Blocks
Procedure: Interscalene Block
Registration Number
NCT05444517
Lead Sponsor
University of Chile
Brief Summary

Postoperative analgesia after shoulder surgery remains a challenge in patients with preexisting pulmonary pathology, as interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB), the standard nerve block for shoulder surgery, carries a prohibitive risk of hemidiaphragmatic paralysis (HDP). Although several diaphragm-sparing nerve blocks have been proposed, none seems to offer equivalent analgesia to ISB while avoiding HDP altogether. For instance, even costoclavicular blocks, which initially fulfilled both requirements, were subsequently found to result in a non-negligible 5%-incidence of HDP.

In this randomized trial, the authors set out to compare ISB and combined infraclavicular block-anterior suprascapular nerve blocks (ICB-ASSNB) for patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The authors hypothesized that ICB-ASSNB would provide equivalent postoperative analgesia to ISB 30 minutes after shoulder surgery and therefore designed the current study as an equivalence trial.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
50
Inclusion Criteria
  • Patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists classification 1-3
  • Body mass index between 20 and 35 kg/mt2
Exclusion Criteria
  • Adults who are unable to give their own consent
  • Pre-existing neuropathy (assessed by history and physical examination)
  • Coagulopathy (assessed by history and physical examination and, if deemed clinically necessary, by blood work up i.e. platelets ≤ 100, International Normalized Ratio ≥ 1.4 or prothrombin time ≥ 50)
  • Obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease (assessed by history and physical examination)
  • Renal failure (assessed by history and physical examination and, if deemed clinically necessary, by blood work up i.e. creatinine ≥ 100)
  • Hepatic failure (assessed by history and physical examination and, if deemed clinically necessary, by blood work up i.e. transaminases ≥ 100)
  • Allergy to local anesthetics (LAs)
  • Pregnancy
  • Prior surgery in the neck or infraclavicular region
  • Chronic pain syndromes requiring opioid intake at home

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Infraclavicular-Anterior Supraescapular Nerve BlocksInfraclavicular - Anterior Supraescapular Nerve BlocksPatients randomized to receive a combined infraclavicular plus anterior suprascapular nerve blocks.
Interscalene BlockInterscalene BlockPatients randomized to receive an interscalene block.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Static pain 30 minutes after arrival in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU)30 minutes after PACU arrival

Pain intensity at rest using a numeric rating score (NRS) ranged from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Block performance time1 hour before surgery

Time from skin disinfection until the end of local anesthetic injection

Incidence of HDP 30 minutes after PACU arrival30 minutes after PACU arrival

HDP will be defined as the absence of diaphragmatic motion during normal respiration coupled with absent or (paradoxical) cranial diaphragmatic movement when the patient forcefully sniffs

Static pain 3 hours after arrival in the PACU3 hours after PACU arrival

Pain intensity at rest using a NRS ranged from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain)

Static pain 12 hours after arrival in the PACU12 hours after PACU arrival

Pain intensity at rest using a NRS ranged from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain)

Static pain 6 hours after arrival in the PACU6 hours after PACU arrival

Pain intensity at rest using a NRS ranged from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain)

Static pain 24 hours after arrival in the PACU24 hours after PACU arrival

Pain intensity at rest using a NRS ranged from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain)

Static pain 36 hours after arrival in the PACU36 hours after PACU arrival

Pain intensity at rest using a NRS ranged from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain)

Static pain 48 hours after arrival in the PACU48 hours after PACU arrival

Pain intensity at rest using a NRS ranged from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain)

Incidence of nerve block side effects0 minutes after skin disinfection to 30 minutes after the nerve block

Determined by the presence of paresthesia, local anesthetic systemic toxicity, vascular puncture, Horner syndrome, or hoarseness after the block.

Basal diaphragmatic function1 hour before surgery

Diaphragmatic function evaluated before the nerve block

Postoperative opioid related side effects48 hours after PACU arrival

Presence of postoperative nausea, vomiting, pruritus, urinary retention, respiratory depression.

Static pain 1 hour after arrival in the PACU1 hour after PACU arrival

Pain intensity at rest using a NRS ranged from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst imaginable pain)

Intensity of pain during block procedure1 hour before surgery

Evaluated with the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain. This scale is graduated from 0 to 10 points. A 0-point score represents the absence of pain, and a 10-points score represents the worst imaginable pain. Patients will be asked to rate their pain verbally with this scale. The blinded assessor will register the score reported.

Block onset time1 hour before surgery

Time required to reach a minimal sensorimotor composite score of 12 points out of a maximum of 14 points. The sensorimotor score is described in outcome 12.

Sensory and motor block score30 minutes after the ending time of local anesthetic injection

The sensorimotor block will be assessed every 5 minutes until 30 minutes after the end of local anesthetic injection using a 14-point composite score that encompasses the sensory functions of the axillary and supraclavicular nerves as well as the motor functions of the axillary, suprascapular, subscapular and lateral pectoral nerves

Sensation will be assessed with ice in each nerve territory with a 0 to 2 point scale. 0= no block, patients can feel cold; 1= analgesic block, the patient can feel touch but not cold; 2= anesthetic block, the patient cannot feel cold or touch.

The motor function will be assessed for each nerve with a 0 to 2 points scale where 0= no motor block; 1= paresis; 2= paralysis.

Successful blocks at 30 minutes correlate with a final score ( sum of all individual sensory and motor scores) of at least 12 points out of 14, with a sensory score of at least 3 points (out of 4 points).

Intraoperative opioid requirementsIntraoperative period

Total amount of fentanyl required during general anesthesia

Postoperative opioid consumption48 hours after PACU arrival

Total amount of morphine required during the first 48 hours after surgery

Incidence of hemidiaphragmatic paralysis (HDP) at 30 minutes after interscalene or infraclavicular-suprascapular block30 minutes after the ending time of local anesthetic injection

HDP will be defined as the absence of diaphragmatic motion during normal respiration coupled with absent or (paradoxical) cranial diaphragmatic movement when the patient forcefully sniffs

Patient satisfaction24 hours after PACU arrival

Patient satisfaction at 24 hours using a 0-10 scale (0 = not satisfied; 10 = very satisfied)

Duration of surgery4 hours after skin incision

Time between skin incision and closure (min)

Persistent neurologic deficit7 days after surgery

Presence of persistent sensory or motor postoperative deficit. The patients will be contacted by telephone and inquired about any sensory or motor deficit in the operated extremity.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile

🇨🇱

Santiago, Metropolitana, Chile

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath