MedTrace Logo

Comparison of Two General Anesthesia Maintenance Strategies on Intraoperative Visibility During Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Surgery: A Randomized Trial

NCT07628244 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 110

Last updated 2026-06-24

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Shoulder arthroscopy is one of the most common orthopedic procedures, and the quality of the surgeon's view inside the joint is critical to its safety and success. Unlike limb surgery, no tourniquet can be applied to the shoulder, so surgical visibility depends almost entirely on how much bleeding occurs within the joint - which is itself influenced by the anesthetic drugs used to keep the patient asleep.

Two standard techniques exist for maintaining general anesthesia: inhaled anesthesia (sevoflurane) and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA, using propofol). Evidence from other types of keyhole surgery (nasal, ear) suggests that propofol may produce better surgical visibility, possibly because sevoflurane causes slightly greater dilation of the smallest blood vessels in tissue, leading to more bleeding into the joint. However, in shoulder arthroscopy specifically, the data are scarce and contradictory.

CLEAR-SHOULDER is a randomized, single-blind trial designed to determine whether propofol-based intravenous anesthesia provides superior intraoperative visibility compared to sevoflurane-based inhaled anesthesia during arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Surgical visibility will be assessed from blinded video recordings of each procedure using the validated modified Fromme-Boezaart score. An exploratory artificial intelligence analysis of the arthroscopic videos will also be conducted.

Secondary outcomes include operating time, irrigation fluid consumption, hemodynamic stability, vasopressor requirements, surgeon satisfaction, postoperative recovery, and environmental impact of each anesthetic strategy.

Conditions

  • Rotator Cuff Injuries
  • Anesthesia, General
  • Arthroscopy

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Inhalation anesthesia

Inhaled anesthesia maintenance with sevoflurane, titrated to maintain a Bispectral Index (BIS) between 40 and 60 throughout the procedure. Analgesia maintained with remifentanil target-controlled infusion (TCI) at 4 ng/mL cerebral target. Induction performed with propofol, atracurium, ketamine and dexamethasone. Norepinephrine administered as needed to maintain mean arterial pressure ≥ 70 mmHg.

PROCEDURE

Continuous intravenous anesthesia

Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) maintenance with propofol target-controlled infusion (TCI, Schnider model), titrated to maintain a Bispectral Index (BIS) between 40 and 60 throughout the procedure. Analgesia maintained with remifentanil target-controlled infusion (TCI) at 4 ng/mL cerebral target. Induction performed with propofol TCI (4-6 ng/mL cerebral target), atracurium, ketamine and dexamethasone. Norepinephrine administered as needed to maintain mean arterial pressure ≥ 70 mmHg.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-18
Primary Completion
2026-06-18
Completion
2028-03-18

Countries

  • France

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07628244 on ClinicalTrials.gov