ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT04083287Updated Apr 13, 2022

Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block or Interscalen Brachial Plexus Block Following Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery

An interventional study of Erector spinae plane block (Group E) and Interscalen brachial plexus block (Group I) in Shoulder Syndrome, sponsored by Medipol University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-04-13.

Sponsored by Medipol University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Postoperative pain is important following arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Postoperative effective pain treatment provides early mobilization and shorter hospital stay.Ultrasound (US)-guided brachial plexus blocks such as interscalen and supraclavicular block are usually performed. Interscalen brachial plexus block (ISCB) is one of the most preferred techniques among these.

The US-guided erector spina plane block (ESPB) is a novel interfacial plan block defined by Forero et al. Local anesthetic injection is administrated into the deep fascia of erector spinae. ESPB provides thoracic analgesia at T5 level, abdominal analgesia at T7-9 level, and lumbar analgesia at T10-12, L3 levels. There are a few case reports about the efficacy of ESPB for acute and chronic shoulder pain. However, there are no randomized clinical studies. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of the US-guided ESPB and ISCB for postoperative analgesia management after arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Read the detailed description

Postoperative pain is an important issue in patients underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Pain causes a few problems; discomfortable patients, negative outcomes and longer rehabilitation. Postoperative effective pain treatment provides early mobilization and shorter hospital stay, thus complications due to hospitalization such as infection and thromboembolism may be reduced. Various techniques may be used for postoperative pain treatment. Opioids are one of the most preferred drugs among the analgesic agents. Parenteral opioids are generally performed for patients after surgery. However opioids have undesirable adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, itching, sedation and respiratory depression (opioid-related adverse events).

Various methods may be performed to reduce the use of systemic opioids and for effective pain treatment following arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Ultrasound (US)-guided brachial plexus blocks such as interscalen and supraclavicular block are commonly used. Interscalen brachial plexus block (ISCB) is one of the most preferred techniques among these.

US-guided interfascial plane blocks have been used increasily due to the advantages of ultrasound in anesthesia practice. The US-guided erector spina plane block (ESPB) is a novel interfacial plan block defined by Forero et al. at 2016. The ESPB contains a local anesthetic injection into the deep fascia of erector spinae. This area is away from the pleural and neurological structures and thus minimizes the risk of complications due to injury. Visualization of sonoanatomy with US is easy, and the spread of local anesthesic agents can be easily seen under the erector spinae muscle. Thus, analgesia occurs in several dermatomes with cephalad-caudad way. Cadaveric studies have shown that the injection spreads to the ventral and dorsal roots of the spinal nerves. ESPB provides thoracic analgesia at T5 level, abdominal analgesia at T7-9 level, and lumbar analgesia at T10-12, L3 levels. To the best of our knowledge, there have been a few case reports about the efficacy of ESPB for acute and chronic shoulder pain. There are no randomized clinical studies, yet.

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of the US-guided ESPB and ISCB for postoperative analgesia management after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The primary aim is to compare perioperative and postoperative opioid consumption and the secondary aim is to evaluate postoperative pain scores (VAS), adverse effects related with opioids (allergic reaction, nausea, vomiting).

02

Conditions studied

  • Shoulder Syndrome

Keywords

  • Shoulder surgery
  • Postoperative pain management
  • Erector spina plane block
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Medipol University is the lead sponsor of 320 studies on the registry; 87 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification I-II
  • Scheduled for arthroscopic shoulder surgery under general anesthesia

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • history of bleeding diathesis,
  • receiving anticoagulant treatment,
  • known local anesthetics and opioid allergy,
  • infection of the skin at the site of the needle puncture,
  • pregnancy or lactation,
  • patients who do not accept the procedure
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
60 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Group E = ESPB group

    In group E, ESPB will be performed. US probe will be placed longitudinally 2-3 cm lateral to the T2 transvers process. Erector spinae muscle will be visualized on the hyperechoic transverse process. The block needle will be inserted caudo-cranial direction and then for correction of the needle 5 ml saline will be enjected deep into the erector spina muscle fascia. Following confirmation of the correct position of the needle 30 ml %0.25 bupivacaine will be administered for block.

    Other: Erector spinae plane block (Group E)

  • Active comparator
    Group I = ISCB group

    In group I, ISCB will be performed with patients in the supin position. US probe will be placed in transverse plane at the level of cricoid cartilage. The prob will be moved laterally when the artery is visualized. The needle will be inserted in a medial-to-lateral direction after the brachial plexus between the scalen muscles is visualized. Then, 5 ml normal saline will be enjected for correction of the needle with in-plane technique. Following confirmation of the correct position of the needle 30 ml %0.25 bupivacaine will be administered for block.

    Other: Interscalen brachial plexus block (Group I)

Interventions

  • OtherErector spinae plane block (Group E)

    Patients will be administered A 400 mg dose of ibuprofen every 8 hours in the postoperative period. A patient controlled device prepared with 10 mcg/ ml fentanyl will be attached to all patients with a protocol included 10 mcg bolus without infusion dose, 10 min lockout time and 4 hour limit. Postoperative pain assessment will be performed using the VAS score (0 = no pain, 10 = the most severe pain felt). The VAS scores at rest and during cough will be recorded at postoperative 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 hours. If the VAS score will be ≥ 4, 0.5 mg/ kg meperidine IV will be administered. Sedation level will be assessed with a 4-point sedation scale (0 = awake, eyes open, 1 = sleepy but responding to verbal stimulus, 2 = sleepy and hard to evoke, 3 = sleepy, not aroused by shaking). The first time of the use of rescue analgesic, intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption, side effects such as nausea, vomiting, itching and block related complications will be recorded.

  • OtherInterscalen brachial plexus block (Group I)

    Patients will be administered A 400 mg dose of ibuprofen every 8 hours in the postoperative period. A patient controlled device prepared with 10 mcg/ ml fentanyl will be attached to all patients with a protocol included 10 mcg bolus without infusion dose, 10 min lockout time and 4 hour limit. Postoperative pain assessment will be performed using the VAS score (0 = no pain, 10 = the most severe pain felt). The VAS scores at rest and during cough will be recorded at postoperative 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 hours. If the VAS score will be ≥ 4, 0.5 mg/ kg meperidine IV will be administered. Sedation level will be assessed with a 4-point sedation scale (0 = awake, eyes open, 1 = sleepy but responding to verbal stimulus, 2 = sleepy and hard to evoke, 3 = sleepy, not aroused by shaking). The first time of the use of rescue analgesic, intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption, side effects such as nausea, vomiting, itching and block related complications will be recorded.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Opioid consumption

    The primary aim is to compare perioperative and postoperative opioid consumption

    Time frame: Change from baseline opioid consumption at postoperative 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 hours

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pain scores (Visual analogue scores-VAS)

    Postoperative pain assessment will be performed using the VAS score (0 = no pain, 10 = the most severe pain felt). The VAS scores at rest and during cough will be recorded

    Time frame: Changes from baseline pain scores at postoperative 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 hours.

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Istanbul Medipol University Hospital
    Istanbul, Bagcilar 34070, Turkey (Türkiye)
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Forero M, Rajarathinam M, Adhikary SD, Chin KJ. Erector spinae plane block for the management of chronic shoulder pain: a case report. Can J Anaesth. 2018 Mar;65(3):288-293. doi: 10.1007/s12630-017-1010-1. Epub 2017 Nov 13. PubMed 29134518 ↗
  • Selvi O, Tulgar S, Ozer Z. Case Report Presentation of Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block in Shoulder Surgery: Three Patients and Two Different Results. Cureus. 2018 Nov 3;10(11):e3538. doi: 10.7759/cureus.3538. PubMed 30648071 ↗
  • Wiegel M, Moriggl B, Schwarzkopf P, Petroff D, Reske AW. Anterior Suprascapular Nerve Block Versus Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block for Shoulder Surgery in the Outpatient Setting: A Randomized Controlled Patient- and Assessor-Blinded Trial. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2017 May/Jun;42(3):310-318. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000573. PubMed 28257388 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — We will not plan to share IPD

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Apr 2020 to primary completion in May 2021, 13 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Sep 5, 2019
First posted
Sep 10, 2019
StartActual
Apr 26, 2020
Primary completionActual
May 30, 2021
CompletionActual
May 30, 2021
Last update
Apr 13, 2022
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 13, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04083287
Lead sponsor
Medipol University
Responsible party
Bahadir Ciftci (Primary researcher, Medipol University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 10, 2019
Start date
Apr 26, 2020
Primary completion
May 30, 2021
Completion
May 30, 2021
Last update
Apr 13, 2022

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion