lower extremity blocks 3/11 Flashcards
LUMBAR PLEXUS:
- where do the nerves exit in respect to the vertebra?
- what levels of rami does it inculde and does lumbar plexus come from anterior or posterior rami?
- what muscle is the lumbar plexus formed in?
- exit cauddad (below) to their numbered vertebra
- Anterior ventral rami L1-L4 (occasional T12-L5)–(posterior rami L1-L5 supply muscles of skin of back)
- formed in body of psoas major muscle
SACRAL PLEXUS:
what rami does it originate from?
rami of L4-S3
- the lumbar plexus innervates what part of the lower extremity?
- the lumbosacral plexus innervates what part of the LE?
- lumbar plexus: ventral part of LE
2. lumbosacral plexus: dorsal part of LE
Lower Extremity Blocks• Advantages:
8 things
1– Avoid sympathectomy associated with spinal
2– Avoid general anesthesia in high risk patients
3– Little effect on hemodynamic status
4– Appropriate for patients with head injury, CV instability, localized infection (spine)
5– Early ambulation
6– Perioperative and postoperative pain relief – Reduced nausea and vomiting
7– Continuous infusion catheter
Lower Extremity Blocks• Disadvantages:
5 things
1– Time consuming
2– Failure (up to 5% in the best hands)
3– Mobilization of patient to position for block may be difficult due to co-morbidities (obesity, arthritis, fractures)
4– Nerves not as compact compared to brachial plexus
5– Many providers not as comfortable with techniques due to ease of blocking lower extremities with neuraxial techniques
Lower Extremity Blocks
- Patient Preparation: what should be done prior to deciding which block?
- how are LE blocks used in surgery?
- how are they used post op?
1• Complete preoperative Assessment including:
– Thorough neurologic exam
– Patient Education
2• May be used as only anesthetic or combined with GA or MAC
3• Post-op pain management (+- catheter
Lower Extremity Blocks Patient Preparation
1• Contraindications: (6 things)
2• what should be monitored?
Lower Extremity Blocks Patient Preparation 1. contraindications a. Patient Refusal, b. uncooperative patient, c. block interfering with procedure, d. coagulopathy, e. infection at site, f. neurologic disease 2• Monitoring is the same as any other anesthetic during block and intraoperatively
- what 2 plexuses make up the lower ext. nerve supply?
2. what is the nerve span for the lower extremities (from where to where)?
1• Nerve supply to lower extremity is from 2 plexuses: lumbar plexus and sacral plexus (also referred to as lumbosacral plexus)
2• L1-S3
Lumbar Plexus (Cephalad Branches): there are 3 of them:
Lumbar Plexus (Cephalad Branches):
– Iliohypogastric Nerve- L1
– Ilioinguinal Nerve- L1
– Gentiofemoral Nerve- L1-L2
Lumbar Plexus (Caudal Branches)
- name the 3 branches:
- why are these branches important to us?
- Lumbar Plexus (Caudal Branches):
– Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve (LFC)- L2-L3
– Femoral Nerve- L2-L4
– Obturator Nerve- L2-L4 - These are the branches we are concerned with for lower extremity blocks!
- what are the 2 divisions of the lumbar plexus?
2. how many peripheral branches of these 2 divisions?
- lumbar plexus:
a) cephalad branches
b) caudal branches - 6 branches
- track the path and innervations of the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous (L2-L3):
- what type of innervation is this nerve?
- path of lateral femoral cutaneous
– Emerges medial to ASIS
– Passes under lateral end of inguinal ligament
– Superficial or deep to Sartorius muscle
– Descends deep to fascia lata - Purely SENSORY innervation to lateral thigh (cutaneous).
what area does lateral femoral cutaneous (LFC) supply sensory to?
LFC- Purely sensory nerve supplies lateral buttock distal to greater trochanter and proximal two thirds of lateral thigh.
- track the path of the Femoral Nerve (L2-L4):
2. what areas of does it innervate?
Femoral Nerve
1. – Emerges through psoas muscle and
descends in groove between psoas and iliacus muscles
– Passes under inguinal ligament lateral to femoral artery
– Splits into numerous branches upon entering femoral triangle
2.– Supplies muscle and skin of anterior thigh, knee, hips
- what makes up the femoral triangle?
2. what is the order of artery, nerve and vein from medial to lateral?
femoral triangle 1. inguinal ligament (superiorly), sartorious (laterally) adductor longus (medially) 2. 'V' 'A' 'N'- vein-artery-nerve from medial to lateral
- femoral nerve innervates what?
2. femoral nerve is the ____ terminal nerve of lumbar plexus?
- Femoral Nerve covers skin of anterior thigh, knee, hips .
- Largest terminal branch of lumbar plexus.
Obturator Nerve (L2-L4)
- track its descent:
- what does it innervate?
Obturator Nerve
1. – Descends towards pelvis on medial boarder of psoas muscle
– Exits pelvis through obturator foramen
2.– Innervates adductor muscles of thigh, hip, knee joints, & skin medial to thigh
Sacral Plexus:
- what rami make up sacral plexus?
- what 2 major nerves originate from the sacral plexus?
- what does the sacral plexus give innervation to?
Sacral Plexus:
1– Anterior rami of L4-L5 & S1-S3 (some sources S4)
2– Two major nerves:
• Sciatic (L4-S3)
• Posterior cutaneous nerve of thigh (S1-S3)
3– innervation of sacral plexus is:
– Sensory and motor to posterior and lateral part of leg
– Nearly entire innervation of foot
Posterior cutaneous nerve (S1-S3)
- what plexus does it originate from?
- what other nerve does it course with?
- where structure does it exit thru?
Posterior cutaneous nerve
– From sacral plexus
– Courses with sciatic nerve through pelvis
– Exits via greater sciatic foramen
Posterior cutaneous nerve (S1- S3)
• Supplies skin of…
Posterior cutaneous nerve:
buttock and proximal posterior thigh
Sciatic Nerve (L4-S3):
- origin
- why is it special?
- passes thru and lies on what?
- descends to where?
Sciatic Nerve: – From sacral plexus – Largest nerve in body – Passes out of pelvis through greater sciatic foramen and lies on sciatic notch – Descends along medial aspect of femur
• Sciatic Nerve cont…
-what does it innervate?
Sciatic Nerve:
– Motor and sensory innervtion to posterior thigh and majority of lower leg (except medial lower leg)
Sciatic Nerve (L4-S3)
- where is it closer to the skin? where does it run
- what does it divide into? which one is medial? which is lateral?
Sciatic Nerve: 1– Becomes superficial at lower boarder of gluteus maximus and travels to popliteal fossa 2– Divides into: • Tibial Nerve (medial) • Common Peroneal Nerve (lateral)
Tibial Nerve:
- where does it run?
- what are the sensory and motor innervations?
Tibial Nerve: 1--Travels down posterior calf – Passes under medial malleolus 2– sensory: Supplies skin of medial and plantar foot motor: Plantar flexion
what nerves innervate the foot?
- what is the main nerve that services most of the foot?
- what are the branches of this nerve?
- what about the other aspects of the foot (arch and outer heel)
nerves that innervate the foot:
- tibial nerve
- most of foot:
- medial calcaneal branches-(S1,2) heel
- medial plantar nerve-(L4-5) 2/3 of the foot (from the medial side) out to1/2 the 4th toe
- lateral plantar nerve- (S1,2) lateral 1/3 of foot
- rest of foot:
a) outer heel: sural nerve (s1,2)-via lateral calcaeal and lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve
b) arch: saphenous nerve (L3,4)
Common Peroneal Nerve
- courses where?
- divides into what branches?
Common Peroneal Nerve: – Courses around head of fibula (lateraly) – Divides into: • Superficial Peroneal Nerve • Deep Peroneal Nerve
2 branches of the common peroneal nerve:
trace the branches
2 branches of the common peroneal nerve: 1. Superficial Peroneal Nerve – Sensory nerve – Supplies anterior foot 2. Deep Peroneal Nerve – Motor innervation: dorsiflexion of foot – Sensory innervation: space between 1st & 2nd toe
Deep Peroneal Nerve: where does it enter the foot?
Deep Peroneal Nerve:
-Enters foot lateral to anterior tibial artery between anterior tibialis tendon & extensor hallicus longus tendon
Superficial Peroneal Nerve:
-how does it course?
Superficial Peroneal Nerve:
-passes down the lateral calf and divides into terminal branches medial to lateral maleolus
Sural Nerve:
- what type of nerve?
- what forms this nerve?
- what does the nerve pass under?
- what does it supply?
Sural Nerve:
- Sensory nerve
- Formed from branches of common peroneal and tibial nerves
- Passes under lateral malleolus
- Supplies lateral foot
- what is a lower concentration block for Local Anesthetic?
- what kind of block does it give you?
- what kind of block does a high concentration block give you?
- 10-15 ml of local (0.5%-0.75% mepiv or lido; .25% bupiv; 0.2% ropiv)
- sensory, no motor
- sensory with some motor
what equipment will you need for a lower extremity block?
equipment for block: • Standard monitors • Emergency drugs • Suction • Airway equipment • O2 • Sedation • PNS • Marking Pen • Ruler • 2-4 inch insulated needle and 22 G, 10-15 cm spinal needle and B-bevel needle • Local anesthetic • Alcohol pads & chloraprep • Sterile gloves
- How to choose your LA:
- what does onset and duration depend on?
- what LAs can be mixed? What problem does that cause?
- Choice of LA
– Duration of procedure
– Time until start of procedure
– Degree of anticipated pain
– Toxicity of agent
– Ambulatory vs. in-patient surgery
2• Onset and duration different depending on site.
– Example:
• 0.5% ropivicaine for BP block = 10-12 hr of analgesia
• 0.5% ropivicaine for sciatic nerve block = up to 24 hr of analgesia
• This difference is likely due to difference in vascularity
3• Mixing of LA
– Lidocaine + Bupivicaine = faster onset and longer DOA
• Problem is onset, duration and potency become more unpredictable
- what does adding bicarb do to LA?
2. what does adding epi do?
- Adding sodium bicarbonate to LA
– Increases pH of LA, increases amount of LA in uncharged base form, increasing rate of diffusion across nerve membrane, speeding onset of action - Adding epinephrine to LA
– Delays vascular absorption, increasing duration of drug contact with nerve issues, increasing duration of action
– Marker of intravenous injection
Techniques: Lumbar Plexus Blocks
I. block #1
II. block #2
• Lumbar plexus blocks:
I. you can do one block that BLOCKS EVERYTHING
1. Lumbar plexus block (consistently blocks
LFC, femoral, obturator nerves)
II. Or you may block the individual nerves of the plexus:
1. Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve (LFC)- L2-L3 2. Femoral Nerve- L2-L4 3. Obturator Nerve- L2-L4
how to do a LFC nerve block:
1. what size needle? in what location?
2. what tissue will you feel a pop going thru?
3. how much LA is injected and in what manner?
4.
LFC nerve block:
Needle (22 G 2 inch insulated) inserted 2 cm caudal and medial to the anterior superior iliac spine
– Advance deep into fascia lata
– Will feel “pop” as fascial layer (fascia lata) is penetrated
– 10-15 ml LA in fanwise manner above and below the fascia lata, from medial to lateral
Lateral Femoral Cutaneous (LFC) Nerve Block
- Uses:
- how does the nerve Course?
- what type of innervation?
Lateral Femoral Cutaneous (LFC) Nerve Block:
1. uses:
• Anesthetizing lateral aspect of thigh
• Small skin gran donor site
• Lessens complaints of tourniquet pain
2 Course:
• Emerges from lateral boarder of psoas muscle, courses inferiorly and laterally towards ASIS, passes under inguinal ligament
3. innervation:
• Only sensory innervation
dose for LFC block:
- what type of concentration is good for LFC block? how many mL?
- examples of LAs and doses:
dose for LFC block: 1. Low concentration of 10-15 ml of local anesthetic is effective because no motor components 2. Examples: – 0.5%-0.75% Mepivacaine or Lidocaine – 0.25% Bupivacaine – 0.2% Ropivacaine
LFC nerve block Techniques:
- how should you position patient?
- what is the landmark?
LFC nerve block Techniques:
– Supine position
– Palpate anterior superior iliac spine
ultrasound technique for LFC nerve block:
- how to position leg?
- what do you mark?
- where do you place transducer and how do you scan?
- how does LFCN appear?
ultrasound technique for LFC nerve block:
1. Supine, leg extended, neutral position
2• Mark ASIS (anterior superior iliac spine) and IL (inguinal ligament) Prep skin and transducer
3• Place transducer medial to ASIS along IL, scan medially and inferiorly
4• LFCN is hyperechoic (BRIGHTER)
what do structures do these stand for? FL FI SAR IL
• =Fascia lata
• = Fascia iliaca
• = Sartoriustorious (the LFCN passes over this muscle)
- = Inguinal Ligament
- uses for femoral nerve block?
- often combined with what othe blocks?
- how does the nerve course?
- uses for femoral nerve block:
• Operations on anterior portion of thigh
• Analgesia for femoral fracture
• Post-op analgesia for knee surgery (+/-continuous catheter placement)
2• Often combined with other LE Femoral Nerve PNBs (lateral femoral cutaneous, sciatic and obturator nerve block) to provide anesthesia for procedures of lower leg and foot
3• Course:
• Lies in groove between psoas major and iliac muscles, enters thigh deep to inguinal ligament
• LATERAL TO FEMORAL ARTERY