Ultrasound-Guided Versus Anatomic Landmark-Guided Ankle Blocks

Abstract

This study demonstrates that the USG technique of ankle block improves clinical efficacy compared with a conventional ALG technique, particularly in the hands of less-experienced practitioners.

French military general practitioner: ultrasound practice

“…The literature contains numerous examples of the utility of ultrasound which may be of potential interest to isolated military GPs in daily practice, such as the diagnosis of urinary tract dilatation,9 10 ascites,11 12 pleural and pericardial effusion9 and pneumothorax,13 pregnancy12 and testicular haematoma, exclusion of DVT,14 diagnosis of joint effusion, haematoma or cyst,15 as well as more advanced applications, such as assessment of blood volume in controlled mechanical ventilation by measuring the diameter of the inferior vena cava,16 transcranial Doppler diagnosis of intracranial hypertension,17 18 and support placement of regional anaesthesia19 and central venous lines 20. Ultrasound should be used as an adjunct to usual clinical examination and be used to answer specific questions regarding treatment or evacuation.…”

Ultrasound-Guided Ankle Block for Forefoot Surgery

“…The lack of standardization in the testing method and timing to assess the blocks may render comparisons of techniques difficult. 10,16,17 The main limitation of this study is anatomical. A sensory nerve territory is formed by a nucleus or central area that belongs only to that nerve (autonomous zone) and a peripheral area that is shared with the surrounding nerve(s).…”

“…4 Typically, it includes the block of the 4 nerve branches that trace their origins to the sciatic nerve plus the block of the saphenous nerve (SaN), a branch of the femoral nerve. Recently, ultrasound (US) has provided the means to identify and reliably block the nerves at the ankle, 5 improving success rate 5Y8 and/or decreasing onset time, 9,10 as compared with conventional anatomical landmark techniques. However, the evaluation of US-guided blocks of every individual nerve at the ankle level has not been addressed.…”

Perineural steroids for trauma and compression-related peripheral neuropathic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The fibres of damaged nerves display enhanced neuronal activity from injured primary afferents, which leads to the development of NP. 9 Local anesthetics (LA) are often injected around nerves to provide perioperative analgesia, 10 but there is a lack of consensus on the role of perineural administration of steroids in the management of NP. 11 Nerve injury has been shown to activate secretion of inflammatory mediators and increase ectopic discharge from the injured nerve, 4 thereby contributing to the development of NP.…”