Breaking The Pain-Stiffness Cycle- Supraclavicular Catheter Facilitated Rehabilitation Of Post-Surgical Elbow stiffness- A Retrospective Observational Study

The study examined the treatment of post-surgical elbow stiffness using supraclavicular brachial plexus catheter in 28 patients. Post-surgical elbow stiffness occurs in 10-15% of patients after trauma surgery, with pain being the main barrier to physiotherapy. Patients received local anesthetics (Bupivacaine and Ropivacaine) through a catheter for 5 days combined with structured physiotherapy. The mean elbow range of motion improved from 39.1° before intervention to 104.2° after intervention, representing an improvement of 65.1°. Five patients (17.9%) experienced mechanical catheter complications, but without infection or neurological deficits. This minimally invasive method represents a promising alternative to surgical intervention, which has a recurrence rate of up to 34%.