Analysing the efficacy of periarticular shoulder injections in pain control after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Shoulder surgeries are one of the common orthopaedic procedures performed. With the increasing activity level of the younger population and overall survivorship, the requirement of various shoulder surgeries like the arthroscopic Bankart repair, Latarjet procedure, rotator cuff repair and reverse shoulder arthroplasty are on the rise. These surgeries, particularly arthroscopic rotator cuff procedures, are known to cause increased post-operative pain and discomfort to the patients. This affects the post-op physiotherapy, demoralises the patient, and increases the overall analgesic requirement. Pain-sensitive patients may require increased hospital stay increasing economic burden. Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block (ISB) has been a standard procedure to reduce pain following shoulder surgeries. But this procedure is not without complications. There is a good amount of learning curve associated with it. The administration of ISB requires sophisticated equipment like a sonogram. Phrenic nerve palsy, pneumothorax, persistent neurological symptoms and rebound pain are known complications of interscalene block. The alternatives include the suprascapular nerve block, superior trunk block, and intra-articular and periarticular injections. Periarticular Injections are emerging as effective alternatives to IBPB with similar efficacy as shown by some recent studies. The main objective of this study is to analyse the clinical effectiveness of periarticular injections in controlling post-operative pain following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgeries compared to interscalene block.