Peripheral nerve stimulation through a ‘dry’ peripheral nerve catheter for shoulder analgesia: a case report

Abstract

Revision shoulder surgery can pose significant analgesic challenges as locoregional blocks are often avoided to enable early recognition of iatrogenic nerve injuries. Our case describes the utilisation of pre-operative and intra-operative low-frequency percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation via a ‘dry’ interscalene catheter, inserted pre-operatively for a patient presenting for revision total shoulder arthroplasty who was experiencing significant shoulder joint pain despite a prior total shoulder arthroplasty. The clinical considerations and safety aspects are discussed further.