title: Evaluation of effects of sciatic and femoral nerve blocks in sheep undergoing stifle surgery.
abstract: The authors evaluated the effects of locally anesthetizing the sciatic and femoral nerves in sheep undergoing stifle (femorotibial) surgery (16 sheep received nerve blocks; 16 sheep underwent a nerve localization procedure but received no nerve blocks). Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure and end-tidal isoflurane were recorded every 5 min while sheep were anesthetized. At some of the observed time points, the mean heart rate in the sheep that had received no nerve blocks was significantly higher than in the sheep that had received the nerve blocks. Postoperatively, each sheep was assigned scores for comfort and attitude, movement, flock behavior, feeding behavior and appetite and respiratory rate (based on predefined descriptions). Though the authors found no undesirable effects of this local anesthesia, beneficial effects of the nerve blocks were minimal or not readily apparent under the conditions of this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. ann.wagner@colostate.edu
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Khursheed R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mama
authors.forename: Dana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ruehlman
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pelkey
authors.forename: A Simon
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000662:veterinary; D018681:Anesthetics, General / Q000494:pharmacology; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000378:metabolism; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000187:drug effects*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects*; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000601:surgery*; D013264:Stifle / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D018681:Anesthetics, General; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D007530:Isoflurane; D002045:Bupivacaine