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WithdrawnNCT02946268Updated Nov 13, 2019

Optimal Volume, Rate, and Interval of Bolus Nerve Catheters for Shoulder Surgery

A Phase 4 interventional study of Ropivacaine in Pain, sponsored by Duke University. Withdrawn at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-11-13.

Sponsored by Duke University · Phase 4, Interventional, and Supportive care

Why this study was withdrawn
Insufficient staff
Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the ideal delivery of local anesthetics for pain control when using continuous interscalene peripheral nerve catheters for shoulder surgery.

The study will be conducted in three stages. In the first stage the ideal bolus volume of ropivacaine will be determined. In the second stage the optimal rate of delivery of the bolus (infusion rate) will be determined. Finally, once both the ideal volume and infusion rate has been determined, the optimal interval between boluses of local anesthetic will be determined.

Read the detailed description

The purpose of this study is to determine the ideal delivery of local anesthetics for postoperative analgesia when using continuous interscalene peripheral nerve catheters for shoulder surgery. New technology has emerged with electronic pumps that permit intermittent mandatory boluses of local anesthetic to be delivered in addition to continuous infusions. The pump would automatically deliver a bolus at a given interval, but would otherwise be idle for a period of time. This technology could improve the efficacy of local anesthetics, and thereby improve postoperative analgesia.

Continuous peripheral nerve catheters have been shown to improve pain control in several orthopedic surgical procedures when compared to opioids. However, it is not uncommon for patients to experience breakthrough pain in spite of a functional peripheral nerve block. Many times, this breakthrough pain can be managed with a bolus of local anesthetic administered by an anesthesia provider. Until recently, the vast majority of peripheral nerve catheter infusion pumps have only had the capability of providing a constant rate of local anesthetic administration. Newer technology allows for infusion pumps to deliver intermittent mandatory boluses of local anesthetic. This technique of local anesthetic administration has previously been evaluated with popliteal nerve blocks, but to our knowledge has never been evaluated for use with interscalene nerve catheters.

Currently, data would support the idea that a bolus of local anesthetic can improve analgesia with decreased side effects compared to a continuous infusion. However, there is little data evaluating the optimal volume of bolus, the optimal speed of delivery, or the optimal interval between local anesthetic boluses.

02

Conditions studied

  • Pain
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Duke University is the lead sponsor of 2,025 studies on the registry; 275 are open to participants now.

Of its 194 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 159 (82%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female, ≥18 years of age
  • Patients scheduled to undergo unilateral shoulder surgery at Duke University Medical Center, including arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, acromioplasty, hemiarthroplasty, and total shoulder replacement.
  • American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) Physical Class 1-3.
  • BMI ≤40 kg/m2

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with a contraindication to placement of interscalene nerve block. This includes abnormal clotting, skin infection involving the neck, the presence of neurological disorders or cervical spine disease, contralateral phrenic nerve dysfunction, or moderate-severe COPD (FEV1\<80% of normal values and/or FEV1/FVC \< 0.70)
  • Patients with chronic pain (pain existing for longer than 6 months), or taking chronic opioids (greater than 60 morphine equivalents per day) at time of surgery
  • Contraindications to or known drug interactions with local anesthetics
  • Patients who will be discharged home directly from PACU
  • Planned administration of another investigational product or procedure during the subject's participation in this study.
  • Patients who do not have the capacity to give legally effective consent
  • Suspected, or known addiction to or abuse of illicit drug(s), prescription medicine(s), or alcohol within the past 2 years.
  • Uncontrolled anxiety, schizophrenia, or other psychiatric disorder that, in the opinion of the Investigator, may interfere with study assessments or compliance.
  • Current or historical evidence of any clinically significant disease or condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, may increase the risk of surgery or complicate the subject's postoperative course.
  • Pregnant women
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Volume of bolus

    Ropivacaine 0.2% volume increased or decreased by 1ml based on previous patient experience. If pain greater than or equal to 5/10 in the previous patient, the current patient will receive an increase in volume of bolus by 1ml. If pain is less than 5/10 in the previous patient the current patient will receive a decrease in volume by 1ml.

    Drug: Ropivacaine

  • Experimental
    Rate of delivery of bolus

    Ropivacaine 0.2% rate increased or decreased by 50ml/hr based on previous patient experience. If pain greater than or equal to 5/10 in the previous patient at 30 minutes, the current patient will receive an increase in rate of bolus by 50ml/hr. If the pain is less than 5/10 the rate will be decreased by 50ml/hr.

    Drug: Ropivacaine

  • Experimental
    Interval between bolus

    Ropivacaine 0.2% interval increased or decreased by 1 hour based on previous patient experience. If the previous patient received pain score of 2/10 at 2 hours then the current patient will have an interval of three hours. If the pain is greater than 2/10, the interval will be shortened by 1 hour.

    Drug: Ropivacaine

Interventions

  • DrugRopivacaine

    Change in administration of ropivacaine. Rate, Volume and Interval of bolus altered.

    Also known as: Naropin

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Optimal Volume of Ropivacaine 0.2% bolus via interscalene catheter

    Up-down sequential allocation alteration of volume to determine optimal volume of bolus

    Time frame: 1 day

Secondary outcomes

  1. Optimal Rate of Ropivacaine 0.2% administration bolus via interscalene cathter

    Up-down sequential allocation alteration of rate to determine optimal rate of bolus

    Time frame: 1 day

Other outcomes

  1. Optimal Interval of Ropivacaine 0.2% administration of bolus via interscalene catheter

    Up-down sequential allocation alteration of interval to determine optimal interval of bolus

    Time frame: 1 day

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Duke Ambulatory Surgery Center
    Durham, North Carolina 27705, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 13, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02946268
Lead sponsor
Duke University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 27, 2016
Start date
Feb 21, 2017
Primary completion
Feb 21, 2017
Completion
Feb 21, 2017
Last update
Nov 13, 2019

Study contacts

Joshua R Dooley, MD
principal investigator · Duke University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is withdrawn, as verified in Oct 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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