2022 AAOS Annual Meeting: Local Infiltration Analgesia vs. Interscalene Block for Postoperative Pain Management following Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Randomized Noninferiority Clinical Trial

70 patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty were randomized to receive an interscalene block (n=37) or local infiltration analgesia (n=33) for post-operative pain control. Outcomes of interest included Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores and opioid consumption, assessed up to 7 days post-operation. Results revealed no significant differences in VAS pain scores between the two groups at all time-points, with the exception of 8 hours post-operation, where local infilitration analgesia had a higher VAS pain scores vs. block. No differences in post-operative opioid consumption were observed, however, intra-operative opioid consumption was significantly higher in the local infiltration analgesia group. Local infiltration analgesia was found to be non-inferior to block based on VAS pain scores over the first 24 hours.