Regional/Neuraxial Flashcards
Median nerve function
Palmar/ventral: most of palm, all of index, middle fingers, lateral 1/2 of ring finger
Dorsal: Just the tips of index, middle, and lateral 1/2 ring fingers.
SENSORY TEST: pinch index finger
MOTOR TEST: thumb opposition
INJURY: (rare) → reduced sensation over palmar surface of thumb, index, middle, lateral ring finger.
→ from: traumatic antecubital IV placement, carpal tunnel syndrome (only nerve that passes thru carpal tunnel)
Axillary nerve function
Sensory: lateral aspect of shoulder
Motor: arm ABduction (deltoid contraction)
Musculocutaneous nerve function
Sensory: pinch lateral aspect of forearm. Supplies most of thumb side of forearm beyond hand. (Think where you put an art line in)
Motor: elbow flexion (biceps contraction)
Radial nerve function
[Ventral/palmar: thumb]
[[Dorsal:
-thumb
-back of hand
bottom 1/2 of:
—-index, middle, medial part of ring finger
Median/central forearm, elbow, area around biceps]]
Sensory test: pinch the web space between thumb and index finger
Motor test: elbow extension (triceps contaction), wrist + finger extension
INJURY: wrist drop
→ BP cuff too tight, IV pole, UE tourniquet, sheets too tight with arm tucking.
Ulnar nerve function
Supplies: pinky and medial 1/2 ring finger on both sides of hand.
Sensory test: pinch pinky finger
Motor test: pinky finger abduction
Injury: impaired sensation pinky and ring fingers. Chronic = claw hand
most commonly injured peripheral nerve
Landmarks of interscalene block
Clavicular head of SCM
Clavicle
Cricoid cartilage
Complications of interscalene block
Phrenic paralysis
→ fine in healthy pts, can be problematic with resp disease
Horner’s syndrome
→ stellate ganglion blockade. indicates success PAM
Inadvertent epidural/spinal
→ If needle directed too medially
Seizure
→ if in vertebral artery, as little as 1mL could cause
C6 neuropathy
→ cramp felt
RLN injury, pneumo (R>L), Bezold Jarisch
Landmarks of supraclavicular block
Clavicle, subclavian artery
Biggest risk of supraclavicular
Pneumothorax
Tall, thin patients at high risk
Block good for all UE cases except shoulder
What is a good block for a patient with respiratory issues?
Infraclavicular. (Cord level)
-Nerves are distant from the neuraxial structures and phrenic nerve, so diaphragmatic paralysis is rare.
However, it’s the most painful, bc needle has to pass thru pec major and pec minor
Landmarks of intraclavicular block
Coracoid process, clavicle
Works for cases below elbow
Complications of infraclavicular block
Vascular puncture
Pneumo (lower risk than interscalene and Supra)
Painful
Unique aspects of infraclavicular block
- Because there is high variability in location of cords, nerve stim is used with ultrasound
- Also, the nerves appear hyperechoic (bright instead of dark) at this location because there is ↑ amt of connective tissue around the nerve fascicles as they move distal to the extremity.
- Most painful
Lumbar plexus
L1-L4 +/-T12 Iliohypogastric, Ilioinguinal, Genitofemoral, Lateral femoral cutaneous, Obdurator, Femoral
Lateral fem cutaneous, obdurator, and femoral are really the only three you need to understand
Sacral plexus
L4-S4
Posterior femoral cutaneous, sciatic
Covers all of foot
(Sciatic → Common peroneal → Superficial peroneal, deep peroneal
→ Tibial → Sural, posterior tibial)
Coccygeal plexus
S4-Co
Pudendal, inferior anal, perianal
Tibial nerve
-Branch of sciatic
→ SURAL: outer edge of foot
→ POSTERIOR TIBIAL: back of heel
Common peroneal nerve
-Branch of sciatic
→ SUPERFICIAL PERONEAL: top of foot, medial ankle
→ DEEP PERONEAL: between 1st two toes
→ COMMON PERONEAL: lateral upper calf
Femoral nerve
→ What’s the main branch?
Arises from lumbar plexus (L2-L4)
Sensory: Anterior thigh, front of knee, medial inner thigh.
Motor: sartorius, quads.
→ SAPHENOUS is main branch. Sensory to medial/inner lower leg.
Obdurator nerve
Arises from lumbar plexus.
Sensory: inner/medial knee
Motor: hip adductors
Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve
Posterior femoral cutaneous nerve
- LFC arises from lumbar plexus. Lateral thigh
- PFC arises from sacral plexus. Back of thigh, back of knee
Sciatic nerve: general and main branches
Arises from sacral plexus. Largest nerve in body. Motor to posterior thigh, motor and sensory to most of lower leg via common peroneal and tibial branches.
→ COMMON PERONEAL → superficial peroneal + deep peroneal
→ TIBIAL → sural + posterior tibial
What blocks could you do to foster tolerance of a lower leg tourniquet? What about an arm tourniquet?
Lower: sciatic and saphenous
Upper: have to cover in the intercostobrachial nerve (whatever..)