This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
No differences seen with use of liposomal bupivacaine vs peripheral nerve block for shoulder arthroplasty
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
BOSTON — Patients who underwent shoulder arthroplasty and received liposomal bupivacaine for postoperative pain management had results similar to patients who received a continuous peripheral nerve block, according to results presented here.
“Overall, liposomal bupivacaine recently had been published in the literature as being efficacious, but there are problems with initial activation,” Vani J. Sabesan, MD, said in her presentation at the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting. “In our study, we found no significant [difference] between this and the gold standard continuous peripheral nerve catheter.”
Sabesan and colleagues randomly assigned 70 patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty to receive either an interscalene nerve block or a single shock block with liposomal bupivacaine. Researchers collected postoperative pain scores, timing and dosage narcotics, as well as telephone surveys and postoperative patient satisfaction scores.
Results showed similar postoperative pain scores between the two groups, with no significant differences in pain scores or patient satisfaction at 2 days, 7 days and 30 days. Sabesan also noted no significant differences in the PENN shoulder score or subjective shoulder value score. When it came to complications, six patients experienced complications in the catheter group vs. one patient in the liposomal bupivacaine group. – by Casey Tingle
Reference:
Sabesan VJ, et al. Paper #14. Presented at: American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting; Oct. 7-9, 2016; Boston.
Disclosure: Sabesan reports she received support from Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc.