Papers of the Week

Following orthopedic surgery, patients frequently experience pain and discomfort. Multiple methods of regional anesthesia are available, however, the optimal technique to adequately manage pain while minimizing complications remains under investigation. This study aims to compare the complication rates and pain relief of single-injection, liposomal bupivacaine brachial plexus nerve block to a conventional, indwelling ropivacaine interscalene catheter in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. We hypothesize that liposomal bupivacaine will have fewer patient complications with similar pain relief than an indwelling catheter.