Efficacy of direct arthroscopy-guided suprascapular nerve block after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a prospective randomized study

30 patients scheduled for arthroscopic repair for rotator cuff tear were randomized to receive either intraoperative suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) or placebo saline injection. This study aimed to evaluate the null hypothesis that SSNB during arthroscopic rotator cuff repair did not impact postoperative pain. Postoperative pain, use of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and incidence of complications were measured within the first 24 hours following surgery. While postoperative pain did not significantly vary between the placebo group and SSNB group, it was noted that PCA use was significantly lower in the SSNB group. Incidence of adverse events was also similar between groups.