title: Use of magnetic resonance imaging to define the anatomical location closest to all three cords of the infraclavicular brachial plexus.
abstract: Infraclavicular techniques are often used to perform brachial plexus blocks. In our volunteer study we used magnetic resonance imaging to identify the brachial plexus and axillary vessels in a sagittal plane corresponding to the lateral sagittal infraclavicular block. In 20 volunteers, all cords were positioned within 2 cm from the artery approximately within 2/3 of a circle. We derived an injection site that was closest to all cords, cranio-posterior and adjacent to the axillary artery. We conclude that this knowledge may be useful for the performance of infraclavicular blocks aided by ultrasound. However, our proposals should be tested by clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway. sauter@start.no
authors.forename: Axel R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: Hans-Jørgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Audun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stubhaug
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dodgson
authors.forename: Øivind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Klaastad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*