Ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus block through the acoustic window of the lumbar ultrasound trident.
Lumbar plexus block (LPB) is frequently used in combination with an ipsilateral sacral plexus or sciatic nerve block for lower limb surgery. This is traditionally performed using surface anatomical landmarks, and the site for local anaesthetic injection is confirmed by observing quadriceps muscle contraction to peripheral nerve stimulation. In this report, we describe a technique of ultrasound-guided LPB that was successfully used, in conjunction with a sciatic nerve block, for anaesthesia during emergency lower limb surgery. The anatomy, sonographic features, technique of identifying the lumbar plexus, and the potential benefits of using this approach are discussed.
Karmakar
M K
MK
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin NT, Hong Kong, SAR, China. karmakar@cuhk.edu.hk
Ho
A M-H
AM
Li
X
X
Kwok
W H
WH
Tsang
K
K
Ngan Kee
W D
WD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000601:surgery; D008160:Lumbosacral Plexus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*