Testing the feasibility of a clinical trial comparing a pre-surgery medication cocktail and nerve-numbing injections for pain management after minimally invasive shoulder surgery
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN14069845 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14069845 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | Nil known |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | Nil known |
| Protocol serial number | PJT-156259 |
| Sponsor | Canadian Institutes of Health Research |
| Funder | Canadian Institutes of Health Research |
- Submission date
- 18/12/2018
- Registration date
- 03/01/2019
- Last edited
- 13/08/2025
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Musculoskeletal Diseases
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Pain after surgery occurs in four out of every five patients and is a major public health concern. The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate if a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) addressing pain management after surgery is possible. Other objectives are to: 1) identify solutions to challenges that may arise in conducting the study, and 2) obtain some data to determine how many patients will be needed for the larger RCT. We chose to study patients undergoing shoulder surgery since it is a common surgery associated with fairly severe pain that is poorly controlled with current opioid-based regimens.
Who can participate?
Adults who are 18 years or older and having shoulder surgery for rotator cuff injury or shoulder instability.
What does the study involve?
The study involves receiving one of two treatments that are routinely used at the participating hospitals. Patients will be randomized to receive: 1) a nerve block, or 2) a combination of pain medications before surgery plus the nerve block.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
We cannot guarantee that there is any personal benefit to participating in the study, i.e. that one treatment is better than the other. However, participants will have the opportunity to contribute to research in pain management. As all the study interventions are routinely used at the participating sites, the risks of this study are the same as the risks assumed when undergoing this surgery without participating in the study. We have reduced some risk by excluding people who are unlikely to benefit or at high risk of certain adverse events.
Where is the study run from?
Patients will be recruited from St. Mary's Hospital.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2018 to March 2027
Who is funding the study?
This study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Who is the main contact?
Dr. Ana Velly
ana.velly@mcgill.ca
Contact information
Scientific
3755 Cote Ste Catherine, Suite A.017
Montreal
H3T1E2
Canada
| 0000-0003-3125-1884 |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Interventional pilot randomized parallel trial |
| Secondary study design | Randomised parallel trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Optimizing pain management: a pilot randomized trial in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery |
| Study objectives | Current study hypothesis as of 09/01/2025: This trial is an exploratory pilot study to test the feasibility for a future pragmatic trial – this is the primary outcome. We are collecting pilot data on the interventions on post-operative pain only as a secondary outcome, and preliminary data suggests that PMC may reduce pain intensity at 24 hours post-surgery, and possibly reduce routine opioid use as compared to PMC+Block. Therefore, the hypotheses are: Primary hypothesis: The future pragmatic RCT is feasible. Primary hypothesis for the future definitive RCT: PMC+Block will reduce pain intensity at 24 hours post-surgery compared to Block alone; and will reduce the need for rescue opioid medication. Previous study hypothesis: This trial is an exploratory pilot study to test the feasibility for a future pragmatic trial – this is the primary outcome. We are collecting pilot data on the interventions on post-operative pain only as a secondary outcome, and preliminary data suggests that PMC may reduce pain intensity at 24 hours post-surgery, and possibly reduce routine opioid use as compared to PMC+Block. Therefore, the hypotheses are: Primary hypothesis: The future pragmatic RCT is feasible. Primary hypothesis for the future definitive RCT: PMC will reduce pain intensity at 24 hours post-surgery compared to either PMC+Block or Block alone; and will reduce the need for rescue opioid medication. |
| Ethics approval(s) | 1. Approved 25/02/2020, Health Canada, ref: HC6-24-c235630 2. Approved 18/08/2020, St. Mary's Hospital ERB, ref: SMHC-19-03 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Rotator cuff pathology or shoulder instability |
| Intervention | Current interventions as of 04/07/2025: Consenting patients will be randomly assigned to receive one of two study interventions: Block, or PMC+Block. PMC Group: Pregabalin: 25mg at night on the 5th day prior to surgery, 25mg BID on the 4th day prior to surgery, 50 mg BID on the 3rd day prior to surgery, 75 mg BID on the 2nd and 1st day prior to surgery. In our pilot data (Section 3.5), 75 mg BID appeared effective and it is less likely to create adverse events. If patients do not tolerate the 75mg dose (e.g. sedation), we will use the greatest tolerable dose. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Celecoxib 100 mg PO BID starting 5 days prior to surgery. In case of contra-indication or intolerance, Naproxen EC 500 mg PO BID for 5 days will be used. Block Group: Interscalene Block. An anesthesiologist experienced in providing nerve blocks will administer a preoperative single-shot interscalene block, approximately 1 hour prior to the start of surgery. Either ropivacaine or bupivacaine in a volume of 5-15 ml, and a concentration of 0.5%, with no adjuvants, will be used. We will not use continuous interscalene block due to logistical challenges. Duration of the treatment. For the PMC and PMC+Block groupsgroup, they will receive the PMC 5 days prior to their surgery date. The duration of treatment for these groups is thus 5 days. The Block group will receive their treatment right before their surgery – the duration of treatment is therefore 1 day. Following that, all groups will receive the same, standard postoperative treatment. All participants will have their last follow-up assessment performed at 6 months post-surgery. The time points for follow-ups are at 6 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, 2 and 6 months post-surgery. Randomization. We will apply stratified randomization of patients by surgeon using random number generation by an independent third party. To improve blinding, distinct evaluators will be making assessments. A research assistant will assess POP intensity and research nurses will assess pain medication and adverse events. Further, we will ask patients not to disclose their treatment. However, we recognize that the evaluators may be unblinded if patients disclose their treatment (see Section 7.1). We will also blind the supervising statistician to prevent biases during the analysis (e.g., model selection, and handling of missing data). Wash-out period. There is no wash-out period in this parallel RCT, and there are 3 treatment groups. _____ Previous interventions as of 09/01/2025: Consenting patients will be randomly assigned to receive one of two study interventions: Block, or PMC+Block. PMC Group: Pregabalin: 25mg at night on the 5th day prior to surgery, 25mg BID on the 4th day prior to surgery, 50 mg BID on the 3rd day prior to surgery, 75 mg BID on the 2nd and 1st day prior to surgery. In our pilot data (Section 3.5), 75 mg BID appeared effective and it is less likely to create adverse events. If patients do not tolerate the 75mg dose (e.g. sedation), we will use the greatest tolerable dose. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Celecoxib 100 mg PO BID starting 5 days prior to surgery. In case of contra-indication or intolerance, Naproxen EC 500 mg PO BID for 5 days will be used. Block Group: Interscalene Block. An anesthesiologist experienced in providing nerve blocks will administer a preoperative single-shot interscalene block, approximately 1 hour prior to the start of surgery. Either ropivacaine or bupivacaine in a volume of 5-15 ml, and a concentration of 0.5%, with no adjuvants, will be used. We will not use continuous interscalene block due to logistical challenges. Duration of the treatment. For the PMC and PMC+Block groups, they will receive the PMC 5 days prior to their surgery date. The duration of treatment for these groups is thus 5 days. The Block group will receive their treatment right before their surgery – the duration of treatment is therefore 1 day. Following that, all groups will receive the same, standard postoperative treatment. All participants will have their last follow-up assessment performed at 6 months post-surgery. The time points for follow-ups are at 6 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, 2 and 6 months post-surgery. Randomization. We will apply stratified randomization of patients by surgeon using random number generation by an independent third party. To improve blinding, distinct evaluators will be making assessments. A research assistant will assess POP intensity and research nurses will assess pain medication and adverse events. Further, we will ask patients not to disclose their treatment. However, we recognize that the evaluators may be unblinded if patients disclose their treatment (see Section 7.1). We will also blind the supervising statistician to prevent biases during the analysis (e.g., model selection, and handling of missing data). Wash-out period. There is no wash-out period in this parallel RCT, and there are 3 treatment groups. _____ Previous interventions: Consenting patients will be randomly assigned to receive one of three study interventions: PMC, Block, or PMC+Block. PMC Group: Pregabalin: 25mg at night on the 5th day prior to surgery, 25mg BID on the 4th day prior to surgery, 50 mg BID on the 3rd day prior to surgery, 75 mg BID on 2nd and 1st day prior to surgery. In our pilot data (Section 3.5), 75 mg BID appeared effective and it is less likely to create adverse events. If patients do not tolerate the 75mg dose (e.g. sedation), we will use the greatest tolerable dose. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Celecoxib 100 mg PO BID starting 5 days prior to surgery. In case of contra-indication or intolerance, Naproxen EC 500 mg PO BID for 5 days will be used. Block Group: Interscalene Block. An anesthesiologist experienced in providing nerve blocks will administer a preoperative single shot interscalene block, approximately 1 hour prior to the start of surgery. Either ropivacaine or bupivacaine in a volume of 5-15 ml, and a concentration of 0.5%, with no adjuvants will be used. We will not use continuous interscalene block due to logistical challenges. Duration of the treatment. For the PMC and PMC+Block groups, they will receive the PMC 5 days prior to their surgery date. The duration of treatment for these groups is thus 5 days. The Block group will receive their treatment right before their surgery – duration of treatment is therefore 1 day. Following that, all groups will receive the same, standard postoperative treatment. All participants will have their last follow-up assessment performed at 6 months post-surgery. The time points for follow-ups are at 6 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, 2 and 6 months post-surgery. Randomization. We will apply stratified randomization of patients by surgeon using random number generation by an independent third party. To improve blinding, distinct evaluators will be making assessments. A research assistant will assess POP intensity and research nurses will assess pain medication and adverse events. Further, we will ask patients not to disclose their treatment. However, we recognize that the evaluators may be unblinded if patients disclose their treatment (see Section 7.1). We will also blind the supervising statistician to prevent biases during the analysis (e.g., model selection, handling of missing data). Wash-out period. There is no wash-out period in this parallel RCT, and there are 3 treatment groups. |
| Intervention type | Mixed |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Current primary outcome measure as of 09/01/2025: |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. Cumulative consumption of opioids for pain management. The research nurse/assistant will assess if patients use opioids at 6 h, 1 day, and 1 week after surgery during their follow-ups at these time points. |
| Completion date | 01/03/2027 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Upper age limit | 64 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 36 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Aged 18 years or older 2. Understand English or French; 3. Undergoing arthroscopic surgery for shoulder rotator cuff pathology or shoulder instability with at least 6 months of symptoms. |
| Key exclusion criteria | Current participant exclusion criteria as of 09/01/2025: 1. Allergies to any of the following drug combinations: 1.1. pregabalin, or 1.2. both celecoxib and naproxen EC; or 1.3. bupivacaine 2. Allergic-type to reactions to sulfonamides 3. History of asthma, urticaria, or allergic-type reactions after taking Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) or other NSAIDs (i.e. complete or partial syndrome of ASA-intolerance-rhinosinusitis, urticaria/angioedema, nasal polyps, asthma); 4. Angioedema 5. Bleeding disorders 6. History of ulcers 7. Inflammatory bowel disease 8. Cerebrovascular disease (including but NOT limited to stroke, cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attacks and/or amaurosis fugax) 9. Ischemic heart disease (including but NOT limited to acute myocardial infarction, history of myocardial infarction and/or angina) 10. Congestive heart failure (NYHA II-IV) 11. Liver impairment 12. Renal impairment (Renal impairment is identified by an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. This valued is estimated from a calculator found at https://www.mdcalc.com/creatinine-clearance-cockcroft-gault-equation) 13. Known hyperkalemia 14. Chronic pulmonary lung disease (COPD) 15. Contraindications to pregabalin, or both celecoxib and naproxen EC; or bupivacaine 16. Current use of high-dose opioids (>60 mg equivalents of morphine), gabapentinoids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, or cannabinoids 17. Cancer 18. Pregnancy or lactation. All females under age 55 get pregnancy tests prior to surgery. If they are pregnant, the surgery is cancelled. This procedure is not specific to this study, but a standard practice for all hospitals before surgery. 19. Frail or debilitated patients 20. Life expectancy of less than one year 21. Those without DSQ (Dossier Santé Québec) or ClinicalConnect (Ontario) access 22. Cannot be randomized to receive an interscalene block 23. Patients who refused to do a blood test. 24. Patients with BMI < 19 will be excluded 25. Unable to communicate in English or French Previous participant exclusion criteria as of 10/01/2022 to 09/01/2025: A potential participant who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: 1. Allergies to any of the following drug combinations: 1.1. Pregabalin 1.2. Both celecoxib and naproxen EC 1.3. Both ropivacaine and bupivacaine 2. Allergic-type reactions to sulfonamides 3. History of asthma, urticaria, or allergic-type reactions after taking Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) or other NSAIDs (i.e. complete or partial syndrome of ASA-intolerance-rhinosinusitis, urticaria/angioedema, nasal polyps, asthma) 4. Angioedema 5. Bleeding disorders 6. History of ulcers 7. Inflammatory bowel disease 8. Cerebrovascular disease (including but NOT limited to stroke, cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attacks and/or amaurosis fugax) 9. Ischemic heart disease (including but NOT limited to acute myocardial infarction, history of myocardial infarction and/or angina) 10. Congestive heart failure (NYHA II-IV) 11. Liver impairment 12. Renal impairment (Renal impairment is identified by an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. This valued is estimated from a calculator found at https://www.mdcalc.com/creatinine-clearance-cockcroft-gault-equation) 13. Known hyperkalemia 14. Chronic pulmonary lung disease (COPD) 15. Contraindications to pregabalin, both celecoxib and naproxen EC, or both ropivacaine and bupivacaine 16. Current use of high-dose opioids (>60 mg equivalents of morphine), gabapentinoids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, or cannabinoids 17. Cancer 18. Pregnancy or lactation. All females under age 55 get pregnancy tests prior to surgery. If they are pregnant, the surgery is cancelled. This procedure is not specific to this study, but a standard practice for all hospitals before surgery. 19. Frail or debilitated patients 20. Life expectancy of less than one year 21. Those without DSQ (Dossier Santé Québec) or ClinicalConnect (Ontario) access 22. Cannot be randomized to receive an interscalene block 23. Patients who refused to do a blood test. _____ Previous exclusion criteria as of 12/05/2021: 1. Allergies to any of the following drug combinations: o pregabalin, or o both celecoxib and naproxen EC; or o both ropivacaine and bupivacaine 2. Allergic-type reactions to sulfonamides 3. History of asthma, urticaria, or allergic-type reactions after taking Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) or other NSAIDs (i.e. complete or partial syndrome of ASA-intolerance-rhinosinusitis, urticaria/angioedema, nasal polyps, asthma); 4. Angioedema 5. Bleeding disorders 6. History of ulcers 7. Inflammatory bowel disease 8. Cerebrovascular disease (including but NOT limited to stroke, cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attacks and/or amaurosis fugax) 9. Ischemic heart disease (including but NOT limited to acute myocardial infarction, history of myocardial infarction and/or angina) 10. Congestive heart failure (NYHA II-IV) 11. Liver impairment 12. Renal impairment (Renal impairment is identified by an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. This valued is estimated from a calculator found at https://www.mdcalc.com/creatinine-clearance-cockcroft-gault-equation) 13. Known hyperkalemia 14. Chronic pulmonary lung disease (COPD) 15. Cancer 16. Pregnancy or lactation. All females under age 55 get pregnancy tests prior to surgery. If they are pregnant, the surgery is cancelled. This procedure is not specific to this study, but a standard practice for all hospitals before surgery. 17. Frail or debilitated patients 18. Life expectancy of less than one year 19. Current use of high-dose opioids (>60 mg equivalents of morphine), gabapentinoids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, or cannabinoids 20. Cannot be randomized to receive an interscalene block 21. Contraindications to pregabalin, or both celecoxib and naproxen EC, or both ropivacaine and bupivacaine 22. Those without DSQ (Dossier Santé Québec) or ClinicalConnect (Ontario) access. 23. Patients who refused to do a blood test. _____ Previous exclusion criteria: 1. True allergies or other contraindications to any of the medications used in the study 2. Bleeding disorders 3. History of ulcers 4. History of cancer 5. Life expectancy for less than one year 6. Current use of high-dose opioids (>60 mg equivalents of morphine), gabapentinoids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, or cannabinoids; 7. Patients with chronic pulmonary lung disease (COPD) |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/10/2025 |
| Date of final enrolment | 28/02/2026 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Canada
Study participating centre
Montreal
H3T 1M5
Canada
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in non-publicly available repository |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study will be stored in a non-publicly available repository. (REDCap; https://project-redcap.org/). Data will be collected only after consent from participants is obtained. Only key study staff will have direct access to REDCap and its data. The study staff is permitted access to only the minimum necessary data required to fulfill their role in the study. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
| Protocol file | version 1.11 | 11/03/2021 | 04/07/2025 | No | No |
Additional files
- ISRCTN14069845 Protocol v1.11 March 21 2025.pdf
- Protocol file
Editorial Notes
13/08/2025: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The date of first enrolment was changed from 01/08/2025 to 01/10/2025.
2. The date of final enrolment was changed from 31/12/2025 to 28/02/2026.
3. The IPD sharing plan was added.
04/07/2025: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. Uploaded protocol (not peer-reviewed) as an additional file.
2. The interventions were changed.
09/01/2025: The following changes were made:
1. The study hypothesis, interventions, primary outcome measure, and participant exclusion criteria were amended.
2. The upper age limit number and unit were added.
3. The recruitment start date was changed from 01/08/2021 to 01/08/2025.
4. The recruitment end date was changed from 31/12/2021 to 31/12/2025.
5. The following centres were removed: Ottawa Hospital and St. Joseph's Health Care London.
6. The plain English summary was updated.
7. The overall study end date was changed from 01/03/2023 to 01/03/2027.
8. The intention to publish date was changed from 01/04/2023 to 01/04/2027.
10/01/2022: The following changes have been made:
1. The overall trial end date has been changed from 30/04/2022 to 01/03/2023.
2. The participant exclusion criteria have been updated.
3. The trial participating centre "Ottawa Hospital" has been added and the trial participating centre "Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital" has been removed.
4. The plain English summary has been updated to reflect the changes above.
12/05/2021: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The recruitment start date was changed from 15/02/2019 to 01/08/2021.
2. The recruitment end date was changed from 15/08/2019 to 31/12/2021.
3. The overall end date was changed from 31/03/2020 to 30/04/2022.
4. The intention to publish date was changed from 01/01/2021 to 01/04/2023.
5. The ethics approval was added.
6. The exclusion criteria were changed.
7. The trial participating centre Jewish General Hospital was removed.
4. The plain English summary was updated to reflect these changes.