Skip Navigation


BJA Advance Access originally published online on May 12, 2006
British Journal of Anaesthesia 2006 97(2):238-243; doi:10.1093/bja/ael103
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
97/2/238    most recent
ael103v1
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (14)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Eichenberger, U.
Right arrow Articles by Moriggl, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Eichenberger, U.
Right arrow Articles by Moriggl, B.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?


© The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia 2006. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Ultrasound-guided blocks of the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve: accuracy of a selective new technique confirmed by anatomical dissection

U. Eichenberger1,*, M. Greher1, L. Kirchmair2, M. Curatolo4 and B. Moriggl3

1 Department of Anaesthesia and General Intensive Care (B), Medical University of Vienna A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
2 Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Histology and Embryology, Innsbruck Medical University A-6020 Innsbruck , Austria
3 Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Innsbruck Medical University A-6020 Innsbruck , Austria
4 Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital of Berne CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland

*Corresponding author: Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital of Berne, Inselspital, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. E-mail: urs.eichenberger{at}insel.ch

Background. Ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve blocks may be used in the diagnosis of chronic groin pain or for analgesia for hernia repair. This study describes a new ultrasound-guided approach to these nerves and determines its accuracy using anatomical dissection control.

Methods. After having tested the new method in a pilot cadaver, 10 additional embalmed cadavers were used to perform 37 ultrasound-guided blocks of the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve. After injection of 0.1 ml of dye the cadavers were dissected to evaluate needle position and colouring of the nerves.

Results. Thirty-three of the thirty-seven needle tips were located at the exact target point, in or directly at the ilioinguinal or iliohypogastric nerve. In all these cases the targeted nerve was coloured entirely. In two of the remaining four cases parts of the nerves were coloured. This corresponds to a simulated block success rate of 95%. In contrast to the standard ‘blind’ techniques of inguinal nerve blocks we visualized and targeted the nerves 5 cm cranial and posterior to the anterior superior iliac spine. The median diameters of the nerves measured by ultrasound were: ilioinguinal 3.0x1.6 mm, and iliohypogastric 2.9x1.6 mm. The median distance of the ilioinguinal nerve to the iliac bone was 6.0 mm and the distance between the two nerves was 10.4 mm.

Conclusions. The anatomical dissections confirmed that our new ultrasound-guided approach to the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve is accurate. Ultrasound could become an attractive alternative to the ‘blind’ standard techniques of ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve block in pain medicine and anaesthetic practice.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
C. Luyet, U. Eichenberger, R. Greif, A. Vogt, Z. Szucs Farkas, and B. Moriggl
Ultrasound-guided paravertebral puncture and placement of catheters in human cadavers: an imaging study
Br. J. Anaesth., April 1, 2009; 102(4): 534 - 539.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. Sports. Med.Home page
E C Falvey, A Franklyn-Miller, and P R McCrory
The groin triangle: a patho-anatomical approach to the diagnosis of chronic groin pain in athletes
Br. J. Sports Med., March 1, 2009; 43(3): 213 - 220.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
T. M. N. Tran, J. J. Ivanusic, P. Hebbard, and M. J. Barrington
Determination of spread of injectate after ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block: a cadaveric study
Br. J. Anaesth., January 1, 2009; 102(1): 123 - 127.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
C. Luyet, U. Eichenberger, B. Moriggl, L. Remonda, and R. Greif
Real-time visualization of ultrasound-guided retrobulbar blockade: an imaging study
Br. J. Anaesth., December 1, 2008; 101(6): 855 - 859.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Anesth. Analg.Home page
G. Gucev, G. M. Yasui, T.-Y. Chang, and J. Lee
Bilateral Ultrasound-Guided Continuous Ilioinguinal-Iliohypogastric Block for Pain Relief After Cesarean Delivery
Anesth. Analg., April 1, 2008; 106(4): 1220 - 1222.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
P. M. Hopkins
Ultrasound guidance as a gold standard in regional anaesthesia
Br. J. Anaesth., March 1, 2007; 98(3): 299 - 301.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.