[Analgesia in shoulder, elbow and hand surgery].

Surgery of the shoulder, elbow, and hand can cause considerable pain. According to data from randomized controlled trials, local or regional anesthesia is recommended for analgesia during and after surgery of the upper extremity. This treatment can be supplemented with potent opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in a multimodal analgesia approach. According to a metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials, an interscalene block is recommended for analgesia during and after surgery of the shoulder. For the elbow joint, a peripheral block is also recommended to allow for effective analgesia and physiotherapy postoperatively. In addition, cooling and physiotherapeutic techniques are beneficial in postoperative management.