Serratus Anterior Plane Block Versus Pericapsular Nerve Group Block for Shoulder Surgery

Ultrasound-guided Serratus Anterior Plane Block Versus Pericapsular Nerve Group Block (PENG) for Postoperative Analgesia in in Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Effective analgesia in arthroscopic shoulder surgery is a major concern and is essential for all aspects of the patient's recovery. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of pain relief in patients who will undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgeries receiving either serratus anterior plane block versus PENG block comparing and evaluating the differences between the two techniques.It is hypothesized that PENG block will be comparable to serratus anterior plane block as a promising effective alternative for analgesia for arthroscopic shoulder surgeries with fewer side effects. It is suggested that the PENG block can be safely applied for analgesia.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Shoulder Surgery
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Serratus anterior plane block; Procedure: PENG block

Detailed Description

Multimodal pain management is recommended for early postoperative pain control in arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Regional anesthesia is preferred in shoulder surgery as an effective means of providing anesthesia and postoperative analgesia.Commonly used techniques for shoulder surgery include interscalene brachial plexus (ISB) blocks, continuous ISB (CISB) blocks, suprascapular nerve blocks (SSB), supraclavicular nerve blocks (SCB), local infiltration (LI), and ISB with adjuvants. Interscalene brachial plexus (ISB) block is considered the analgesic technique of choice for shoulder surgery.Relevant studies have found that ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block(SAPB) can achieve good anterior lateral chest wall analgesia by injecting local anesthetics into the anterior saw muscle and blocking the lateral cutaneous branch of intercostal nerve which has a significant analgesic effect.The pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block may be safely applied for both partial anesthesia and analgesia in selected shoulder surgery cases. It did not cause motor block or pulmonary complications, nor result in muscle laxity, blocking only the shoulder and the upper third of the humerus. PENG block has been studied extensively in hip surgeries but its place in shoulder surgeries is not yet clear. Therefore, this study will be conducted to compare efficacy of ultrasound guided serratus anterior plane block with PENG block for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgeries.

The aim of this study:

The aim of this study is to assess the quality of pain relief in patients who will undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgeries receiving either serratus anterior plane block versus PENG block comparing and evaluating the differences between the two techniques.

Sample Size Calculation:

Sample size was calculated using Power Analysis and Sample Size software program (PASS) version 11.0.4 for windows (2011) with mean VAS score at 6 h postoperative as the primary outcome. Using the results published by Zhu H, et al 2022 with mean VAS score at 6 h postoperative in serratus group was (1.85 ± 0.59 ) Using a two-sided two-sample unequal-variance t-test., sample size of 44 patients is needed to achieve 90% power to detect 30 % difference in at 6 h postoperative. Using a two-sided hypothesis test with a significance level of 0.05. A10% drop out is considered, so a total of 50 patients will be enrolled (25 in each group) in this study

Methods:

The study will be conducted in Mansoura university hospital on Fifty patients who will be scheduled for arthroscopic shoulder surgery under general anesthesia. They will be randomly assigned to two equal groups (PENG group and SAPB group) according to computer-generated table of random numbers using the permuted block randomization method. The group allocation will be concealed in sequentially numbered, sealed opaque envelopes which will be opened only after obtaining the written informed consent. A written informed consent will be obtained from all study subjects after ensuring confidentiality. The study protocol will be explained to all patients after enrollment into the study along with VAS after enrollment into the study. Basic demographic characters including age, sex, and weight will be recorded. In both groups, The PENG and SAPB procedures will be performed in the preoperative room under strict aseptic conditions using 30 ml 0.25% bupivacaine.

Statistical Methods:

The collected data will be coded, processed, and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program (version 22) for Windows. Normality of numerical data distribution will be tested by Shapiro- Wilk test. Continuous data of normal distribution will be presented as mean ± standard deviation and compared with the unpaired student's t test. Nonnormally distributed data will be presented as median (range) and compared with the Mann-Whitney U test. Repeated measures ANOVA will be used for comparisons within the same group. Categorical data will be presented as number (percentage) and compared with the Chi-square test. All data will be considered statistically significant if P value is ≤ 0.05.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Mansoura, Egypt, 35511
    • Mansoura University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) 1 or 2 patients.
• Scheduled for elective unilateral shoulder arthroscopy.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient's refusal.
• Altered mental status or un-cooperative patients.
• History of known sensitivity to the used anesthetics.
• Bleeding or coagulation diathesis.
• Infection or redness at the injection site.
• Significant cardiac dysfunction, hepatic, or renal impairment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Group A (SAPB); Ultrasound-guided SAPB will be applied while the patient is in the supine position.	Procedure: Serratus anterior plane block; The latissimus dorsi muscle between the midaxillary line and the posterior axillary line will be located under ultrasound guidance. The needle will be inserted into the plane from top to bottom until the serratus anterior surface, and the injectate will be slowly administered.
Active Comparator: Group B (PENG block); Ultrasound-guided PENG block will be performed under strict aseptic precautions and patient's arm will be placed in external rotation and abducted at 45 degrees	Procedure: PENG block; Ultrasound-guided PENG block will be performed under strict aseptic precautions and patient's arm will be placed in external rotation and abducted at 45 degrees. A linear ultrasound probe will be placed longitudinally between the coracoid and the humeral head. After defining the humeral head, the tendon of the subscapular muscle and the deltoid muscle over it, the needle will be inserted using the "in plane" technique. When the needle will have passed through the deltoid muscle and touched the subscapularis tendon, a bone-like hard tissue will be felt and the needle could not be advanced further. The needle tip will be placed Between the deltoid muscle and subscapularis tendon, and the injectate will be slowly administered.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual analogue score (VAS) for pain assessment at 6 hour postoperative	VAS score from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = the worst imaginable pain) will be assessed 6 hour after the procedure.	at 6 hour after the procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
First analgesic request	The time of the first analgesic request for fentanyl will be recorded.	Up to 24 hours after the procedure
Total analgesic requirements of fentanyl	The amount of fentanyl consumption given as a rescue analgesia to patients will be measured all over the 24 hours.	Up to 24 hours after the procedure
Heart rate (HR)	HR will be recorded every 30min till the end of the procedure.	During the procedure
Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP)	MAP will be recorded every 30min till the end of the procedure.	During the procedure
Adverse effects	Pneumothorax, respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, hematoma, or allergic reactions will be recorded	Up to 24 hours after the procedure
Visual analogue score (VAS) for pain assessment	VAS score from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain and 10 = the worst imaginable pain) will be assessed at 2,4,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24 hour after the procedure.	Up to 24 hours after the procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mansoura University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: EL-Deeb, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Kupeli I, Yazici Kara M. Anesthesia or analgesia? New block for shoulder surgery: pericapsular nerve group block. Braz J Anesthesiol. 2022 Sep-Oct;72(5):669-672. doi: 10.1016/j.bjane.2021.05.009. Epub 2021 Jun 9.
• Sripada R, Bowens C Jr. Regional anesthesia procedures for shoulder and upper arm surgery upper extremity update--2005 to present. Int Anesthesiol Clin. 2012 Winter;50(1):26-46. doi: 10.1097/AIA.0b013e31821a0284.
• Patel MS, Abboud JA, Sethi PM. Perioperative pain management for shoulder surgery: evolving techniques. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2020 Nov;29(11):e416-e433. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2020.04.049. Epub 2020 Jun 9.
• Casas Reza P, Dieguez Garcia P, Gestal Vazquez M, Sampayo Rodriguez L, Lopez Alvarez S. Pericapsular nerve group block for hip surgery. Minerva Anestesiol. 2020 Apr;86(4):463-465. doi: 10.23736/S0375-9393.20.14166-X. Epub 2020 Jan 28. No abstract available.
• van Erp JHJ, Ostendorf M, Lansdaal JR. Shoulder surgery in beach chair position causing perioperative stroke: Four cases and a review of the literature. J Orthop. 2019 May 27;16(6):493-495. doi: 10.1016/j.jor.2019.05.009. eCollection 2019 Nov-Dec.
• Kapukaya F, Ekinci M, Ciftci B, Atalay YO, Golboyu BE, Kuyucu E, Demiraran Y. Erector spinae plane block vs interscalene brachial plexus block for postoperative analgesia management in patients who underwent shoulder arthroscopy. BMC Anesthesiol. 2022 May 12;22(1):142. doi: 10.1186/s12871-022-01687-5.
• Zhu H, Zhang C, Yan C. The Anesthetic Effect of Ultrasound-Guided Serratus Anterior Plane Block in Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery and Its Effect on Postoperative Analgesia. J Healthc Eng. 2022 Mar 15;2022:8968805. doi: 10.1155/2022/8968805. eCollection 2022.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 21, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 15, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): March 10, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 6, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 6, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): March 16, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 25, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pericapsular nerve group block
• Other Study ID Numbers: SAPB for shoulder surgery

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No