Liposomal Bupivacaine + Bupivacaine Versus Bupivacaine Interscalene Nerve Block Effect on Pain After Rotator Cuff Repair: A Randomized Control Trial.

Study Summary

128 opioid-naïve patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) were randomized to receive a single-shot interscalene nerve block (ISB) with liposomal bupivacaine plus standard bupivacaine (LBB) or standard bupivacaine alone (B). The primary outcome of interest was postoperative opioid consumption, measured in morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS), total opioid consumption, block-related complications, emergency department visits, and adverse events. Outcomes were assessed daily for 14 days postoperatively. Overall, the results of the study revealed that LBB significantly reduced opioid consumption and pain scores on postoperative day 2 compared with B, although these differences were not considered clinically meaningful. No significant differences were observed in pain scores or opioid consumption at other time points. These findings suggested that adding liposomal bupivacaine to standard bupivacaine provided no clinically important improvement in postoperative analgesia following RCR.