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

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

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.

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.

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.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Intraoperative surgical field visibility assessed by the modified Fromme-Boezaart score — Intraoperative (from first incision to skin closure)
  Time-weighted mean modified Fromme-Boezaart score assessed over the entire surgical procedure by two independent blinded evaluators analyzing standardized arthroscopic video segments. The modified Fromme-Boezaart scale ranges from 0 (no bleeding, perfect visibility) to 5 (severe bleeding, surgery impossible). Higher scores indicate worse surgical visibility. In case of discordance greater than 1 point between the two evaluators, a third independent evaluator will adjudicate.

Trial sites (1)

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