Ultrasound-guided Posterior Approach Research Articles

Posterior intra-articular hip injections: a pilot study investigating a new approach.

The purpose of this study was to investigate a novel posterior intra-articular hip injection approach while discussing the clinical pearls for methodology, accuracy, and associated adverse events. The goal was to investigate if this approach could potentially be used in those where the typical anterior access would be challenging. 10 adults (age > 18years) who were referred to a tertiary outpatient clinic for hip injection due to hip osteoarthritis or femoral acetabular impingement with labral tearing to a single academic sports medicine clinic. Patients were placed in prone position. Posterior structures were identified using a curvilinear transducer. A 22 gauge 3.5-6-inch spinal needle was advanced in-plane to the transducer towards the hip capsule at the head-neck junction of the femur from inferolateral to superomedial. A fluoroscopic arthrogram was obtained to evaluate needle placement accuracy. Location of the needle, direction of contrast flow, the rate of conversion to an anterior portal, and adverse events were analyzed. A fluoroscopic arthrogram was obtained after the first attempt in nine patients (90%). One patient (10%) was converted to the anterior approach due to inability to obtain the expected arthrogram. Two patients (20%) demonstrated mild adverse events. Ultrasound-guided posterior approach hip injection is accurate and without serious adverse events in our study. The posterior approach can be considered as an alternative approach for patients who cannot tolerate or may have technical difficulty with an anterior approach.

Accuracy of shoulder joint injections with ultrasound guidance: Confirmed by magnetic resonance arthrography.

BACKGROUNDIntra-articular glenohumeral joint injections are essential procedures for treating various shoulder disorders. Fluoroscopy-guided injections have been extensively used; however, they pose a risk of radiation exposure and are expensive and time-consuming. Recently, it has been suggested that ultrasound-guided injections are accurate and cost effective procedures.AIMTo evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound-guided glenohumeral injections using a posterior approach that is confirmed using magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA).METHODSThe study included 179 shoulders of patients with recurrent anterior instability (150 patients; 103 and 76 right and left shoulders, respectively; 160 males and 19 females; average age = 20.5 years; age range: 14-63 years) who underwent MRA for preoperative diagnosis. They were injected with 12 mL lidocaine (1%) using the ultrasound-guided posterior approach and then underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Two shoulder surgeons, except for the injector, evaluated the transverse relaxation (T2)-weighted images of axial planes and classified the intra-articular condition of injected contrast into three groups based on one of the three following scenarios: no leakage, injection into the glenohumeral joint without leakage; minor leakage, practical intra-articular injection with some leakage outside the posterior rotator cuffs; and major leakage, inaccurate injection with mass leakage without any contrast into the joint. The inter-rater reliability between two assessors was also evaluated by calculating Cohen’s kappa coefficient. The learning curve was assessed regarding the inaccurate injection rate by analyzing Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.RESULTSOf the 179 injections, 163 shoulders (91.0%) had no leakage, 10 shoulders (5.6%) had minor leakage, and six shoulders (3.4%) had major leakage. In total, 173 shoulders (96.6%) were intra-articularly injected; thus, we could detect anterior labrum and capsular pathologies. Regarding the inter-rater reliability, the kappa coefficient was 0.925, indicating consistency in the evaluations by both examiners. Regression analysis of the inaccurate injection rate for assessingtechnical learning showed a logarithmic curve with a downward trend (R2 = 0.887, P < 0.001). Three (50%) of the six inaccurate injections classified into “major leakage” were observed in the first 30 injections, indicating that the accurate injection showed a leaning effect.CONCLUSIONUltrasound-guided intra-articular glenohumeral injections using a posterior approach had high accuracy; however, injection accuracy depends on clinical experience.

Effectiveness of Glenohumeral Joint Dilatation for Treatment of Frozen Shoulder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The objective was to explore the effectiveness of glenohumeral joint distension for the treatment of frozen shoulder. We searched electronic data sources including PubMed, Scopus, and Embase from the earliest records available to February 2017. Eleven randomized controlled trials including at least one pair of comparisons between capsular distension and a reference treatment were included, comprising 747 participants. Patients’ characteristics, details of reference treatments, aspects of capsular distension therapy, and outcome measurement were evaluated at three points in time: baseline, early following intervention, and at the trial’s end. The primary and secondary outcomes were the between-group standardized mean differences of changes in shoulder function and range of motion, respectively. Regarding the long-term primary outcome, the superiority of capsular distension to reference treatments was not identified. One secondary outcome (external rotation limitation) showed a probable early positive response to capsular distension when compared to intra-articular corticosteroid injection. Aspects of approaches, imaging guiding techniques and doses of distension were not found to modify treatment effectiveness. In conclusion, distension of the glenohumeral joint provides a similar long-term efficacy to all reference treatments. A single dose of a corticosteroid-contained regimen introduced through the ultrasound-guided posterior approach is a preferable practice of capsular distension for the management of frozen shoulder.

Transversus abdominis plane block in inguinal hernia repair

Transversus abdominis plane block in inguinal hernia repair

Feasibility of ultrasound-guided posterior approach for interscalene catheter placement during arthroscopic shoulder surgery

BackgroundContinuous interscalene block has been known to improve postoperative analgesia after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. This was a prospective study investigating the ultrasound-guided posterior approach for placement of an interscalene catheter, clinical efficacy and complications after placement of the catheter.MethodsForty-two patients undergoing elective arthroscopic shoulder surgery were included in this study and an interscalene catheter was inserted under the guidance of ultrasound with posterior approach. With the inplane approach, the 17 G Tuohy needle was advanced until the tip was placed between the C5 and C6 nerve roots. After a bolus injection of 20 ml of 0.2% ropivacaine, a catheter was threaded and secured. A continuous infusion of ropivacaine 0.2% 4 ml/hr with patient-controlled 5 ml boluses every hour was used over 2 days. Difficulties in placement of the catheter, clinical efficacy of analgesia and complications were recorded. All patients were monitored for 48 hours and examined by the surgeon for complications within 2 weeks of hospital discharge.ResultsEasy placement of the catheter was achieved in 100% of the patients and the success rate of catheter placement during the 48 hr period was 92.9%. Postoperative analgesia was effective in 88.1% of the patients in the post anesthetic care unit. The major complications included nausea (7.1%), vomiting (4.8%), dyspnea (4.8%) and unintended vascular punctures (2.4%). Other complications such as neurologic deficits and local infection around the puncture site did not occur.ConclusionsThe ultrasound-guided interscalene block with a posterior approach is associated with a success high rate in placement of the interscalene catheter and a low rate of complications. However, the small sample size limits us to draw definite conclusions. Therefore, a well-designed randomized controlled trial is required to confirm our preliminary study.

Reply to Dr. Narouze

Reply to Dr. Narouze

Soft tissue landmark for ultrasound identification of the sciatic nerve in the infragluteal region: the tendon of the long head of the biceps femoris muscle

The sciatic nerve block represents one of the more difficult ultrasound-guided nerve blocks. Easy and reliable internal ultrasound landmarks would be helpful for localization of the sciatic nerve. Earlier, during ultrasound-guided posterior approaches to the infragluteal sciatic nerve, the authors recognized a hyperechoic structure at the medial border of the long head of biceps femoris muscle (BFL). The present study was performed to determine whether this is a potential internal landmark to identify the infragluteal sciatic nerve. The depth and the thickness of this hyperechoic structure, its relationship with the sciatic nerve and the ultrasound visibility of both were recorded in the proximal upper leg of 21 adult volunteers using a linear ultrasound probe in the range of 7-13 MHz. The findings were verified by an anatomical study in two cadavers. The hyperechoic structure at the medial border of the BFL extended in a dorsoventral direction between 1.4+/-0.6 cm (mean+/-SD) and 2.8+/-0.8 cm deep from the surface, with a width of 2.2+/-0.9 mm. Between 2.6+/-0.9 and 10.0+/-1.5 cm distal to the subgluteal fold, the sciatic nerve was consistently identified directly at the ventral end of the hyperechoic structure in all volunteers. The anatomical study revealed that this hyperechoic structure corresponds to tendinous fibres inside and at the medial border of the BFL. The hyperechoic BFL tendon might be a reliable soft tissue landmark for ultrasound localization of the infragluteal sciatic nerve.

Successful Internal Jugular Venipuncture Using the Ultrasound-guided Posterior Approach: A Report of 2 Difficult Cases

内頸静脈穿刺には, ランドマーク法と超音波ガイド法がある. ランドマーク法には, 胸鎖乳突筋に対して前方, 側方および後方から穿刺するアプローチがある. 今回, 内頸静脈穿刺を側方アプローチによるランドマーク法で行ったが穿刺できなかった症例と, 超音波画像の観察で動静脈の重なりが大きく動脈誤穿刺の危険性が高いと予測された症例に対して, 超音波ガイド下に後方アプローチで穿刺を行い, 安全に中心静脈路を確保できた. 超音波ガイドによる内頸静脈穿刺の利点は, 個々の患者の静脈の解剖学的特徴を考慮して, 最も安全な穿刺部位と穿刺方向を選べることにある.

Ultrasound-guided posterior approach for the placement of a continuous interscalene catheter.

The posterior approach to performing a continuous brachial plexus block at the level of the nerve roots has been described using traditional superficial landmarks. We describe an ultrasound-guided approach for the placement of a continuous interscalene brachial plexus catheter at the level of the nerve roots using a posterior approach. In addition, we provide the clinical characteristics of the first 16 catheters placed at our institution utilizing this approach. Sixteen patients having major shoulder surgery underwent ultrasound-guided placement of a posterior interscalene catheter at the level of the nerve roots. After generation of an optimized short axis image of the neural and vascular structures in the midneck, a 17-gauge Tuohy needle was directed into the skin between the levator scapulae and middle scalene muscles. Using the in plane approach, the needle was advanced until the tip was located between C5 and C6 nerve roots. Following a bolus injection of local anesthetic, a catheter was threaded 2 to 4 cm and secured. Visualization of the spread of local anesthetic through the catheter was used to dynamically confirm correct perineural catheter location. The characteristics of these catheters were assessed including dislodgment, postoperative opioid consumption, complications, and patient satisfaction. All 16 catheters were successfully placed. There were no unintended catheter dislodgments. Patient satisfaction was high and postoperative opioid consumption was minimal. Results suggest the use of ultrasound for placing a continuous interscalene nerve catheter via the posterior approach is a viable technique that offers an alternative to the more conventional non-image-guided superficial landmark techniques.

That Which We Call a Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet-and Its Thorns Would Hurt as Much

In this issue of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Mariano et al1 and Antonakakis et al2 both conclude that more work is needed to place their ultrasound-guided posterior approaches to the interscalene block in true perspective. We are eagerly awaiting these further reports, but I suspect they