CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT04626869Updated Nov 30, 2021

Anterior Suprascapular Nerve Block is an Effective and Diaphragm Protective Approach for Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery

A Phase 4 interventional study of Evaluation of Diaphragm Movement in Diaphragm Paralysis Due to Local Anesthesia, Anterior Suprascapular Nerve Block and Analgesia, Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery, sponsored by Alper Tunga Dogan. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-11-30.

Sponsored by Alper Tunga Dogan · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
50
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Interscalene block is still the gold standard in shoulder surgery analgesia. The most important side effect is diaphragm paralysis due to the phrenic nerve being affected. It may cause symptomatic dyspnea, especially in patients with limited respiratory capacity. There are studies showing that an effective analgesia, as much as the interscalene block can do, can be provided by blocking the suprascapular nerve in the neck region.

The aim of our study is to show that the anterior suprascapular block applied with ultra-low volume (5ml) in shoulder arthroscopy operations is at least as effective as the interscalene block and does not cause diaphragm paralysis.

Read the detailed description

Interscalene block is still the gold standard in shoulder surgery analgesia. The most important side effect is diaphragm paralysis due to the phrenic nerve being affected. It may cause symptomatic dyspnea, especially in patients with limited respiratory capacity. More distal brachial plexus blocks have been defined to avoid diaphragmatic paralysis . Thus, it is aimed to apply the local anesthetic drug further from the phrenic nerve. With the application of ultrasound, the amount of local anesthetic drug was reduced to less than 20 ml.

There are studies showing that an effective analgesia, as much as the interscalene block can do, can be provided by blocking the suprascapular nerve in the neck region. Although it has been shown in a cadaver study that the phrenic nerve can be stained after anterior suprascapular nerve block, the clinical effect is not fully known.

The effect of continuous local anesthetic drug administration on respiratory muscles through catheters placed in the peripheral nerve is another matter of concern. The method that will not affect the phrenic nerve at all and at the same time provide an effective analgesia is still under investigation.

The aim of our study is to show that the anterior suprascapular block applied with ultra-low volume (5ml) in shoulder arthroscopy operations is at least as effective as the interscalene block and does not cause diaphragm paralysis. One of the questions that our research aims to answer is how the continuous application of local anesthetic drugs affects the diaphragm muscle with the insertion of catheters in both regions.

02

Conditions studied

  • Diaphragm Paralysis Due to Local Anesthesia
  • Anterior Suprascapular Nerve Block
  • Analgesia, Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery

Keywords

  • arthroscopic shoulder surgery
  • Interscalene nerve block
  • Anterior suprascapular nerve block
  • Analgesia, postoperative
  • Diaphragm paralysis
03

In context

Respiratory Paralysis

37 studies on the registry are indexed under Respiratory Paralysis; 7 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 50 is close to the median of 48 across 19 interventional studies indexed under Respiratory Paralysis.

Browse Respiratory Paralysis studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Alper Tunga Dogan as lead sponsor.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients > 18 years old
  • American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score of 1-3
  • Scheduled for elective surgery.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with a condition that prevents peripheral nerve block
  • Coagulopathies
  • Chronic opioid use
  • Stroke
  • Polyneuropathy
  • Cognitive dysfunction
  • Communication difficulties
  • Allergies to drugs used
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
50 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Interscalene block

    patients will be placed in a semi-sitting position with their heads facing the opposite side. Linear ultrasound probe (GE Loqic P9 7-15 MHz) to detect the brachial plexus. At the cervical level 5-6, the posterior brachial plexus will be approached as "in-plane" from the posterior with the needle (Contiplex C, Braun) through the catheter. The nerve structure will be confirmed with stimulation in the upper extremity muscles with a nerve stimulator and 5 ml 0.5% Bupivacaine will be injected.

    Other: Evaluation of Diaphragm Movement

  • Active comparator
    Anterior suprascapular nerve block

    patients will be placed in a semi-sitting position with their heads facing the opposite side. Linear ultrasound probe (GE Loqic P9 7-15 MHz) will be placed in the suprascapular region in a coronal oblique manner. The omohyoid muscle, under it the suprascapular nerve, the brachial plexus and the subclavian artery will be identified. The suprascapular nerve will be approached from the posterior as "in-plane" with a needle (Contiplex C, Braun) through the catheter. The nerve structure will be confirmed by stimulation in the supraspinous muscle with a nerve stimulator and 5 ml 0.5% Bupivacaine will be injected.

    Other: Evaluation of Diaphragm Movement

Interventions

  • OtherEvaluation of Diaphragm Movement

    Diaphragmatic movement will be evaluated with ultrasonography and a 5-2 MHz convex transducer will be used. The ultrasound probe is placed between the mid-clavicular line and the anterior axillary line by directing it vertically and slightly cranially. During quiet breathing and deep breathing, diaphragm movement will be measured. The reduction in diaphragm motion will be calculated as the difference (in percent) in diaphragm motion measured before and 30 minutes after the block. Each test will be done 3 times and the values will be averaged. A decrease between 75% and 100% will be defined as complete paresis, a decrease between 25% and 75% as partial paresis, and less than 25% decrease in diaphragmatic movement will be defined as no paresis. In order to investigate the effect of continuous local anesthetic drug administration on diaphragm movement via nerve catheter, the same procedure will be repeated 24 hours after surgery.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain rating

    Measured by VAS. Postoperative 30 minutes

    Time frame: the first postoperative 30 minutes

  2. Pain rating

    Measured by VAS. Postoperative 6 hours

    Time frame: Postoperative 6 hours

  3. Pain rating

    Measured by VAS. Postoperative 12 hours

    Time frame: Postoperative 12 hours

Secondary outcomes

  1. Diaphragmatic movements

    Diaphragmatic movement will be evaluated with ultrasound. 30 minutes after the block application.

    Time frame: 30 minutes after the block application.

  2. Diaphragmatic movements

    Diaphragmatic movement will be evaluated with ultrasound. 24 hours after the block application.

    Time frame: At the first postoperative 24 hours

07

Study locations

1 site
  • VKV Amerikan Hastanesi
    Istanbul, Sisli 34365, Turkey
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Tran DQ, Layera S, Bravo D, Cristi-Sanchez I, Bermudez L, Aliste J. Diaphragm-sparing nerve blocks for shoulder surgery, revisited. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2019 Sep 20:rapm-2019-100908. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2019-100908. Online ahead of print. PubMed 31541010 ↗
  • Bansal V, Shastri U, Canlas C, Gadsden JC. Diaphragm-Sparing Nerve Blocks for Shoulder Surgery: An Alternative Approach. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2017 Jul/Aug;42(4):544-545. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000606. No abstract available. PubMed 28632682 ↗
  • Auyong DB, Hanson NA, Joseph RS, Schmidt BE, Slee AE, Yuan SC. Comparison of Anterior Suprascapular, Supraclavicular, and Interscalene Nerve Block Approaches for Major Outpatient Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: A Randomized, Double-blind, Noninferiority Trial. Anesthesiology. 2018 Jul;129(1):47-57. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000002208. PubMed 29634491 ↗
  • 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

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 30, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04626869
Lead sponsor
Alper Tunga Dogan
Responsible party
Alper Tunga Dogan (Anesthesiology specialist, V.K.V. American Hospital, Istanbul) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Nov 13, 2020
Start date
Dec 1, 2020
Primary completion
Mar 15, 2021
Completion
Apr 1, 2021
Last update
Nov 30, 2021

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 Nov 2021. 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