An anatomic and clinical study of the suprascapular and axillary nerve blocks for shoulder arthroscopy

The combination of suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) and axillary nerve block (ANB) has been reported to provide safe and effective analgesia for arthroscopic shoulder surgery. This study was designed to identify anatomic landmarks of the suprascapular nerve (SSN) and axillary nerve (AN) and to evaluate the effects of SSNB and ANB using the identified landmarks.

This study included 52 cadaveric shoulders and 30 patients in the anatomic and clinical studies, respectively. After the exact location of the SSN and AN was identified from the cadavers, the clinical study at the end of the operation and at 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, and 48 hours postoperatively was performed in 2 groups: without both SSNB and ANB (group I) and with both SSNB and ANB (group II).

The SSN was located at a length of one-half (2/5-3/5, 88%) from the anterior tip of the acromion to the superior angle of the scapula and at a length of two-fifths (1/3-1/2, 100%) from the anterior tip of the acromion to the medial border of the spine. The AN was located at a length of three-fifths (2/5-4/5, 98%) from the acromial angle to the inferior insertion of the teres major muscle. The depth from the skin was 3.20 ± 0.58 cm for the SSN and 2.07 ± 0.45 cm for the AN. The clinical study showed that the total amount of analgesic for patient-controlled anesthesia was markedly decreased at the end of the operation and at 8 hours postoperatively in group II compared with group I.

The SSNB and ANB were considered to provide safe and effective analgesia in terms of early postoperative pain in arthroscopic shoulder surgery.