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Bensa_2026_joints_20264_1981
Journal article

Perioperative intravenous administration of corticosteroids to improve the outcome of total shoulder arthroplasty : study protocol of a triple-blind randomized controlled trial

  • Bensa, Alessandro ORCID Service of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland - Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
  • Previtali, Davide Service of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland
  • Piano, Andrea Service of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland
  • Oldrini, Lorenzo Massimo Service of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland
  • Schönweger, Florian Service of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland
  • Candrian, Christian ORCID Service of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Surgery, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland - Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
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  • 2026
Published in:
  • Joints. - 2026, vol. 4
Arthroplasty
Corticosteroids
Shoulder
Injection
Protocol
RCT
English OBJECTIVE: Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is among the most frequently performed orthopedic procedures, yet effective postoperative pain management remains crucial. Perioperative administration of corticosteroids (CS) has been proposed to alleviate postoperative pain, reduce nausea incidence, enhance early joint mobility, and attenuate the inflammatory response, potentially shortening hospital stays and accelerating recovery without increasing complication rates. Nonetheless, robust, high-quality evidence is still required to confirm the safety and long-term efficacy of perioperative CS use. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A triple-blinded randomized controlled trial was developed to assess the impact of intravenous perioperative CS administration in patients undergoing TSA, with follow-up extending to 10 years post-surgery. Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either CS in addition to standard perioperative analgesia (treatment group) or standard analgesia alone (control group). The primary outcome is the mean daily postoperative pain at rest during the first three days after surgery, quantified with the 0-10 numeric rating scale (NRS). We hypothesize that intravenous CS will provide superior pain relief than control. Secondary endpoints include safety profile in terms of adverse events, length of hospital stay, postoperative nausea, opioid consumption, inflammatory markers, blood glucose levels, range of shoulder motion, time to mobilization, and changes in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) over time. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by the Cantonal Ethical Committee of Ticino, Bellinzona, Switzerland. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants prior to enrolment. Findings will be shared through conference presentations and publication in peer-reviewed journals. CONCLUSIONS: This trial will provide important evidence on the role of perioperative CS in TSA, assessing both safety and efficacy. The results will clarify whether the benefits of CS extend beyond immediate postoperative pain relief, potentially offering sustained improvements for patients following TSA.
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Language
  • English
Classification
Medicine
License
CC BY-NC-SA
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Persistent URL
https://n2t.net/ark:/12658/srd1335510
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