• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2022

Rotator cuff tear is the most common cause of shoulder pain in middle-age and older people. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) is the most common treatment method for rotator cuff tear. Early postoperative pain after ARCR is the primary concern for surgeons and patients and can affect postoperative rehabilitation, satisfaction, recovery, and hospital day. There are numerous methods for controlling postoperative pain including patient-controlled analgesia, opioid, interscalene block, and local anesthesia. Regional blocks including interscalene nerve block, suprascapular nerve block, and axillary nerve block have been successfully and commonly used. There is no difference between interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) and suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) in pain control and opioid consumption. However, SSNB has fewer complications and can be more easily applied than ISB. Combination of axillary nerve block with SSNB has a stronger analgesic effect than SSNB alone. These regional blocks can be helpful for postoperative pain control within 48 hours after ARCR surgery.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2022

Background: Several therapeutic methods have been proposed for frozen shoulder syndrome. These include suprascapular nerve block, a simple and cost-effective technique that eliminates the need for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy. Methods: This was a clinical trial that included patients with unilateral shoulder joint stiffness. Patients were divided into three groups: those treated with isolated physiotherapy for 12 weeks (PT group), those treated with a single dose intra-articular injection of corticosteroid together with physiotherapy (IACI group), and those treated with a suprascapular nerve block performed with a single indirect injection of 8-mL lidocaine HCL 1% and 2 mL (80 mg) methylprednisolone acetate together with physiotherapy (SSNB group). The variables assessed were age, sex, side of involvement, dominant limb, presence of diabetes, physical examination findings including erythema, swelling, and muscle wasting; palpation and movement findings; shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) score; and the visual analog scale (VAS) score pre-intervention and at 2-, 4-, 6-, and 12-week post-intervention. Results: Ninety-seven patients were included in this survey (34 cases in the PT group, 32 cases in the IACI group, and 31 cases in the SSNB group). Mean age was 48.55±11.06 years. Fifty-seven cases were female (58.8%) and 40 were male (41.2%). Sixty-eight patients had a history of diabetes (70.1%). VAS and SPADI scores and range of mototion degrees dramatically improved in all cases (p<0.001). Results were best in the SSNB group (p<0.001), and the IACI group showed better results than the PT group (p<0.001). Conclusions: Suprascapular nerve block is an effective therapy with long-term pain relief and increased mobility of the shoulder joint in patients with adhesive capsulitis.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.84-88
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of suprascapular nerve block using platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) under ultrasonographic guidance in patients treated with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Material and Methods: 50 cases of patients, from March 2013 to March 2014, treated with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were retrospectively analyzed. We performed ultrasonography-guided suprascapular nerve block using platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) to these patients in the outpatient clinics at the 6 weeks follow-up after operation. We evalulated results for visual analogue score (VAS) for pain, range of motion (ROM), Constant Shoulder Score (CSS) for these patients before arthroscopic operation, following 6 weeks and 3 months after operation. Results: There was clinically significant improvement in VAS, ROM, CSS after ultrasonography-guided suprascapular nerve block using platelet-rich-plasma (PRP). Conclusion: Ultrasonography-guided suprascapular nerve block using platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) is an effective treatment method not only for around shoulder pain but also postoperative residual shoulder pain and limitation of shoulder motion.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.230-234
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• 2007

A diagnosis of shoulder pain is varied and difficult to make. The initial onset of liver cancer is difficult to detect and patients typically do not complain of symptoms as most tumors are asymptomatic. If the symptoms of the patients develop, the first symptom is usually pain that extends from the abdomen to the back and shoulder. A suprascapular nerve block is used in the treatment of the referred shoulder pain due to a metastatic hepatoma, but the effectiveness of the treatment has been limited because of its short duration. Recently, the advent of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) lesioning has proved a successful treatment for chronic refractory pain involving the peripheral nerves. We experienced a case of a 66-year-old male patient complaining of referred right shoulder pain due to metastatic liver cancer, which was relieved after PRF lesioning of the suprascapular nerve.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.193-197
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• 1998

Frozen shoulder is known as a self-limited disease. But, its long duration and pain nature can make the patients debilitative. And most patients cannot tolerate a chronically painful extremity and are concerned about the possibility of developing permanent dysfunction. In painful phase of frozen shoulder, some aggressive mordalties as like trigger point injection or suprascapular nerve block can beneficial to: reduce discomfort and pain. In order to document clinical results, we evaluated the results of 134 frozen shoulders treated with trigger point injection and/or suprascapular nerve block at Kyungpook National University Hospital, from January 1995 to April 1997. The treatment group was divided into 3 modalities: 17 cases in trigger point injection(TPI), 39 cases in suprascapular nerve block(SSB), and 78 cases in both methods. The supportive treatment including oral medication, heat and stretching exercise was also applied. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 57 years old and average follow-up time was 18 months. The results were as follows: Average time of significant improvement in pain was 9 days. Eighty-eight percent (119 cases) was improved in pain and range of motion after injecllion treatments; 82%(14/17) with TPI, 85%(33/39) with SSB, and 92%(72/78) with both. Early improvement of paih within 1 week was 72% in the treatment-responsive group, in which TPI group has 100% response(14/14) and sse has 94% response(31/33)

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2014

There are several kinds of regional nerve blockades, such as interscalene brachial plexus block, C5 root block, suprascapular nerve block, and axillary nerve block, which can be applied for anesthesia and postoperative pain control after shoulder surgeries. These regional nerve blockades have shown good results, but high failure rate and serious complications, such as phrenic nerve palsy, pneumothorax, and nerve injury, still remain. Ultrasound-guided intervention can increase the success rate of nerve blockades and reduce complications. We described the method of ultrasound-guided intervention for the regional nerve blockades around shoulder.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.226-229
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• 1998

Background: Treatment for frozen shoulder is various and difficult. It is important for pain clinicians to plan more effective and simpler treatment modalities. Pain clinicians have done suprascapular nerve block(SSNB) for treatment of frozen shoulder, but the effectiveness of treatment has been unsatisfactory. Shoulder joint injection(SJI) using local anesthetics and steroid mixture is a relatively simple procedure. This study was performed to compare therapeutic effects of SSNB and SJI in frozen shoulder. Methods: Eighty patients suffering from frozen shoulder were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 had been treated with SSNB and physiotherapy for 3 weeks. Group 2 had been treated with SJI and physiotherapy for the same duration. Pain scores and treatment results were compared and analyzed at the time of 2 months after treatment started. Results: The VAS scores after SJI were lower than those of SSNB. Therapeutic results according to Haggart's classifications were significantly effective in group 2. Conclusion: These results show that SJI is more effective than SSNB for treatment of frozen shoulder.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.84-87
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• 1994

Retrospective analysis, of 1,734 patients treated for nerve block from October 1991 to March 1994. Largest percentage of patients were in the 50 year old range, with a distribution of 44.9% male and 55.1% female. Treatments were for ailments of: Low Back Pain 17.3%, Multiple Contusion 10.5%, and Cancer 10%. Most common nerve block was epidural block 38.6%, followed by stellate ganglion block 38.4%, intercostal block 5.4%, and suprascapular nerve block 5.2%. Nerve block under fluorscopic guide were as follows: facet joint block 34.1%, lumbar sympathetic ganglion block 13.6%, and celiac plexus block 12.9%.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.102-103
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• 2013

• The Academic Congress of Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society
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• 2009.03a
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• pp.206-206
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• 2009