Comparison of Liposomal Bupivacaine Versus Ropivacaine in Alleviating Rebound Pain

A Comparison of Liposomal Bupivacaine Versus Ropivacaine for Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block in Alleviating Rebound Pain Following Shoulder Arthroscopy

Shoulder arthroscopy is a frequently performed orthopedic procedure used to address various issues like rotator cuff tears, instability, and stiffness. However，postoperative pain is a common complaint, effective postoperative pain management is a crucial component to recovery after shoulder arthroscopy. For pain control after arthroscopic shoulder surgery, the interscalene brachial plexus block (IBP) is often regarded as the gold standard. It is easy to perform and has limited side effects. Nonetheless, the pain-relieving effects of the block usually last for less than 24 hours, even when using long-lasting local anesthetics like bupivacaine and ropivacaine. Considerable rebound pain is an important limitations of nerve block against postoperative pain.Its incidence is reported to be between 35% and 62% , and is more common after bone and joint surgeries, especially those involving the shoulder and knee, with a frequency 1.8 times greater than that of soft tissue operations . Therefore, it is essential to establish effective measures to avert its occurrence.Liposomal bupivacaine with its multivesicular formulation, is designed to facilitate the sustained and controlled release of bupivacaine. This formulation extended the duration of anesthetic effect and minimized rebound pain. However, studies on liposomal bupivacaine for peripheral nerve blockade have engendered great controversy. Numerous researches suggested that the use of liposomal bupivacaine for shoulder surgeries is comparable to conventional local anesthetics in terms of overall pain relief, opioids consumption, hospital stays, and postoperative complications. In this study, a randomized controlled trial with blinding of patients and outcome assessors was conducted to determine whether liposomal bupivacaine in the interscalene brachial plexus block would improve rebound pain compared to ropivacaine in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Rebound Pain; Liposomal Bupivacaine
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Liposomal Bupivicaine; Drug: ropivacaine

Detailed Description

Shoulder arthroscopy represents a frequently employed orthopedic procedure for managing a wide spectrum of pathologic shoulder conditions, including rotator cuff tears, glenohumeral instability, and stiffness. Despite its minimally invasive nature, postoperative pain remains a frequent and significant concern. Effective perioperative analgesia is crucial to facilitating early mobilization and functional recovery . For this purpose, the interscalene brachial plexus block (ISBPB) remains the gold standard for postoperative pain control following arthroscopic shoulder surgery. It is easy to perform and demonstrates a favorable side effect profile. Nonetheless, the pain duration of a single-injection ISBPB is often less than 24 hours, even with long-lasting local anesthetics such as bupivacaine and ropivacaine[6]. Rebound pain following the resolution of the block poses a major challenge to the effectiveness of peripheral nerve blocks for postoperative analgesia.

Rebound pain is defined as a marked exacerbation of pain, characterized by an abrupt transition from well-controlled pain (Numerical Rating Scale, NRS ≤ 3) during the period of the block efficacy to severe pain (NRS ≥ 7) within 24 hours after peripheral nerve blockade. Reported incidence rates range from 35% to 62% , with a higher prevalence following orthopedic procedures-particularly those involving the shoulder and knee-where its frequency is 1.8 times greater compared with soft tissue operations. This rapid shift from minimal pain to intense discomfort not only disrupts sleep and impedes functional recovery, but may also negate the perioperative analgesic benefits afforded by regional anesthesia . Consequently, developing effective strategies to prevent rebound pain is critically important.

A variety of adjuncts have been evaluated to extend the duration of postoperative analgesia, with the goal of enhancing pain control and mitigating rebound pain; however, the extension of analgesia remains modest and the overall clinical benefit uncertain. While continuous peripheral nerve catheters represent an alternative means to prolong analgesia, their use is limited by technical complexity, resource intensity, and an increased risk of complications such as dislodgement or infection.

Liposomal bupivacaine, a multivesicular formulation engineered to provide sustained and controlled release of bupivacaine, has been developed to prolong analgesic duration and reduce rebound pain. Nevertheless, its efficacy in peripheral nerve blocks remains a subject of considerable debate. Multiple studies have reported that perineural administration of liposomal bupivacaine for interscalene brachial plexus block fails to significantly improve postoperative pain scores or reduce opioid consumption after shoulder surgery compared with conventional local anesthetics. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial to evaluate whether liposomal bupivacaine, when administered via interscalene brachial plexus block, reduces rebound pain more effectively than ropivacaine in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 100
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Hubei
    • Wuhan, Hubei, China, 430030
      • Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• adults between 18 and 65 year-old
• American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) grades 1 to 3 physical classification status
• patients unilateral primary arthroscopic shoulder surgery lasting 1to 4 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

• had an allergy or intolerance to amide-type local anesthetics
• objective evidence of nerve damage in the affected upper limb
• local infection
• impaired renal function (defined as effective glomerular filtration rate < 30ml/min/1.73m2)
• coagulation disorders
• respiratory compromise（requires long term oxygen）
• had participated in another research trial involving an investigational medicinal product in the 6 months before randomization

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: group LBP; patients randomized to the intervention arm received 133mg of liposomal bupivacaine	Drug: Liposomal Bupivicaine; patients randomized to the intervention arm received 133mg of liposomal bupivacaine; Other Names: Ai Heng Ping
Active Comparator: group RP; those in the control group received 80mg of ropivacaine	Drug: ropivacaine; those in the control group received 80mg of ropivacaine; Other Names: Di Shi Li

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
incidence of rebound pain in two groups.	Rebound pain (RP) was defined as the abrupt transition from well-controlled pain (Numerical Rating Scale, NRS ≤ 3) during the effective period of the block to severe pain (NRS ≥ 7) within 24 hours of block performance	up to 24 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
the weighted area under the curve (AUC) for resting Numeric Rating Scale pain scores over the first 24 hours postoperatively	the weight area under the curve (AUC) for resting Numeric Rating Scale pain scores over the first 24 hours postoperatively was accessed (Numeric Rating Scale , 0 = no pain, 10 = worst imaginable pain)	day 1
the initial onset time of pain during 72 hours	the initial onset time of pain pain at rest was reported.	up to 72 hours
the Numeric Rating Scale pain score of initial pain happened	the pain intensity was accessed with Numeric Rating Scale pain score (0 = no pain, 10 = worst imaginable pain)	up to 72 hours
the Numeric Rating Scale pain scores at 48 and 72 hours postoperatively	the Numeric Rating Scale pain scores at 48 and 72 hours postoperatively was accessed (0 = no pain, 10 = worst imaginable pain)	at 48 and 72 hours
the duration of movement recovery	the duration of movement recovery was reported as time to recovery of shoulder pendulum motion	up to 72 hours
The Numeric Rating Scale pain socre during movement	the pain intensity during movement was accessed as shoulder pendulum motion using Numeric Rating Scale pain score (0 = no pain, 10 = worst imaginable pain)	up to 72 hours
the consumption of additional analgesics within 72 hours	total rescue analgesic consumption within 72 hours was reported	up to 72 hours
overall patient satisfaction with pain management survey rated on a 5-point Likert scale	overall patient satisfaction with analgesia management was rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very dissatisfied, 2 = dissatisfied, 3 = unsure, 4 = satisfied, and 5 = very satisfied).	up to 72 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Liu Jiuhong
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jiuhong Liu, Tongji Hospital, Tongji medical college, Huazhong University of Science and Techonology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 20, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): January 2, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 15, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 26, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): September 29, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 12, 2026
• Last Verified: September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: ropivacaine; liposomal bupivacaine; Shoulder Arthroscopy; rebound pain
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Organic Chemicals; Anilides; Amides; Aniline Compounds; Amines; Ropivacaine
• Other Study ID Numbers: TJMZK202507

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No