Comparison of two nerve block methods for pain relief after shoulder surgery: catheter placement versus single injection

Comparison of postoperative analgesic efficacy between out-of-plane middle scalene intramuscular catheter placement using C6 cervical transverse process as a landmark and in-plane extrafascial brachial plexus single injection: a randomized controlled trial - C6-TP Block RCT

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

JPRN

Registry ID

JPRN-jRCT1031250675

Enrollment

Registered

2026-01-26

Start date

2026-01-30

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-06-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Postoperative pain after shoulder surgery for shoulder joint diseases (rotator cuff tear, periarthri shoulder surgery, postoperative pain, brachial plexus block, extrafascial injection

Interventions

Group B: In-plane extrafascial single injection (0.25% levobupivacaine 20ml) Group D: Out-of-plane middle scalene catheter placement using C6 transverse process as landmark (0.25% levobupivacaine 20m

nerve block, catheter placement, local anesthesia

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Adults aged 18 years or older 2. Scheduled for shoulder surgery with ASA-PS classification 1-3 3. Able to provide written informed consent and communicate in Japanese

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. History of allergy to amide-type local anesthetics 2. Pregnant or breastfeeding 3. Severe hepatic dysfunction (AST/ALT more than 3 times upper limit of normal) 4. Severe renal dysfunction (eGFR less than 30mL/min/1.73m2) 5. On anticoagulation with PT-INR more than 1.5 or dual antiplatelet therapy 6. Pre-existing phrenic nerve palsy or severe respiratory dysfunction (FEV1.0 less than 1.0L) 7. Infection at puncture site 8. History of peripheral neuropathy 9. Long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Pain at rest at 7:00 AM on postoperative day 1 (Numerical Rating Scale: NRS 0-10)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Pain during movement at 7:00 AM POD1 (NRS at 30 degrees shoulder abduction) 2. NRS at other time points 3. Time to first rescue analgesic 4. Total analgesic consumption within 24 hours 5. iv-PCA fentanyl consumption and frequency 6. Respiratory function (SpO2, dyspnea, chest X-ray) 7. Incidence of PONV 8. Nerve block procedure time 9. Catheter-related complications	—

Contacts

Public ContactKeisuke Nakazawa

Nihon University Itabashi Hospital

nakazawa.keisuke@nihon-u.ac.jp+81-3-3972-8111

Outcome results

None listed

Source: JPRN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Jul 3, 2026