Buprenorphine, Clonidine, and Dexamethasone on Duration of Brachial Plexus Blocks for Upper Extremity Surgery

March 4, 2025 updated by: Audrice Francois, MD, FASA, Loyola University

Effects of a Triple Adjuvant Combination of Buprenorphine, Clonidine, and Dexamethasone on Duration of Brachial Plexus Blocks for Upper Extremity Surgery, a Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if there is a difference in morphine requirements in patients after upper extremity surgeries including shoulder arthroscopy. The main question it aims to answer is whether there is a difference between Interscalene brachial plexus blocks with the addition of buprenorphine, dexamethasone, and clonidine and the same block without the adjuvant.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study will be a prospective randomized single-blinded clinical trial.

Patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy who meet the inclusion criteria will be invited to participate in this study. A total of 120 patients will be recruited to participate.

Patients will be randomized via a 1:1 ratio to either the Interscalene block with the addition of buprenorphine, clonidine, dexamethasone group or Interscalene block alone group

The null hypothesis of this research study is that there will be no significant difference in morphine requirements between the Interscalene brachial plexus blocks with the addition of buprenorphine, dexamethasone, and clonidine and the same block without the adjuvant.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

120

Phase

  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Maywood, Illinois, United States, 60153
        • Recruiting
        • Loyola University Chicago
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • Audrice Francois, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients ≥ 18 years old
  • Patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy
  • Patients willing to participate and sign informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe COPD/other contraindication to general anesthesia
  • Patient with a weight of less than 60 kg
  • Dementia, not alert or oriented to person, place, or time
  • Chronic pain patient with daily opioid use at home.
  • Patient with allergy to local anesthetics
  • Patient refusal
  • Total shoulder arthroplasty
  • Concomitant pain in different area from operative site.
  • Pregnancy
  • Patient with active infection on the injection sites for the blocks
  • Patients unable or willing to understand or comply with the study protocol

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Interscalene block with the addition of buprenorphine, clonidine, dexamethasone
Interscalene brachial plexus blocks (ISB) is performed with a 22g x 50 mm PAJUNK SonoPlexⓇ II Facet S echogenic needle. Once adequate needle visualization is achieved within the correct anatomic position and plane, 30mL of 0.5% bupivacaine with 100 mcg clonidine, 0.3 mg buprenorphine, and 4 mg dexamethasone will be injected.
Drug: Interscalene block with the addition of buprenorphine, clonidine, dexamethasone
Addition of the adjuvant buprenorphine, dexamethasone, and clonidine in the nerve block performed prior to shoulder arthroscopy surgery
Other Names:
  • Nerve block with buprenorphine, clonidine, dexamethasone
Active Comparator: Interscalene block with buprenorphine alone
Interscalene brachial plexus blocks (ISB) is performed with a 22g x 50 mm PAJUNK SonoPlexⓇ II Facet S echogenic needle. Once adequate needle visualization is achieved within the correct anatomic position and plane 30mL of 0.5% bupivacaine will be injected.
Drug: Interscalene block with buprenorphine alone
Addition of the adjuvant buprenorphine alone the in nerve block performed prior to shoulder arthroscopy surgery
Other Names:
  • Nerve block with buprenorphine alone

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Morphine requirement post surgery
Time Frame: 24 hours
To compare the morphine equivalents administered in the first 24 hours after arrival in the recovery area between the two groups.
24 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain reported via a numeric rating scale (NRS)
Time Frame: 48 hours
To measure pain via a numeric rating scale (NRS) immediately after arrival to recovery area from surgery (time: 0hr), and again at 2, 24, and 48 hours.
48 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Loyola University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Audrice Francois, MD, Loyola University Chicago

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 28, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 29, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 10, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

April 24, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 4, 2025

Last Verified

March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 216009

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

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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