Conditions: Shoulder Arthroscopy Interscalene Block
Keywords: Interscalene Block
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 154
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to determine if a decrease in the standard volume of local anesthetic used to numb your shoulder area before shoulder arthroscopy will provide adequate anesthesia for the procedure and decrease the amount of time until you are ready for discharge from the hospital.

Detailed description:
Traditionally, an interscalene block is done either with nerve stimulator or ultrasound guided using 40-60mL of local anesthetic. The study plans to investigate the difference in hand grip strength post-operatively in patients who will receive interscalene blocks with 40mL versus a lower dose (20mL) of local anesthetic. We suspect the lower dose will achieve adequate surgical anesthesia while creating less motor block and thus, increase patient satisfaction, present fewer complications or adverse affects and decrease time in the recovery room.

Arms:
arm 1: Intervention to be administered is a total volume of 20 mL local anesthetic containing a 1:1 mixture of 1.5% Mepivacaine: 0.5% Bupivacaine. arm 2: Intervention to be administered is a total volume of 40 mL local anesthetic containing a 1:1 mixture of 1.5% Mepivacaine: 0.5% Bupivacaine

Interventions: intervention 1: Low Dose (20 ml) Local Anesthetic Volume for Interscalene Block intervention 2: Control Dose (40 mL) Local Anesthetic Volume for Interscalene Block intervention 3: Low Dose (20 mL) Local Anesthetic (Mepivacaine:Bupivacaine) intervention 4: Control Dose (40 mL) Local Anesthetic (Mepivacaine:Bupivacaine)
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Anesthetic volume:

Investigational group: A 1:1 Mepivacaine 1.5%: Bupivacaine 0.5% mixture for a total of 20 mL intervention 2: Anesthetic volume:

Control group: A 1:1 Mepivacaine 1.5%: Bupivacaine 0.5% mixture for a total of 40 mL intervention 3: None intervention 4: None

Protocol document: