title: Spread of local anesthetic during an ultrasound-guided interscalene block: does the injection site influence diffusion?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During interscalene block (ISB) placement, ultrasound guidance (USG) enables the practitioner to measure the spread of local anesthetic around the nerve trunks or roots, and to adjust the needle position in order to optimize diffusion. Moreover, USG helps determine the best injection level, i.e. the point from which diffusion gives the most complete brachial plexus block. The aim of this study was to compare C5 and C6 level injections and to determine which level allows the best diffusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty randomized patients scheduled for shoulder surgery were divided into two groups. In group C5, injection was directed toward C5 while in group C6, the C6 nerve root was targeted. Block performance time was recorded. The onset of motor and sensory block of each nerve distribution was evaluated every 10 min over a 30-min period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average time taken to perform a nerve block was 6.2+2.6 min in Group C6 and 6.0+2.1 min in Group C5 (NS). At 30 min, the number of patients with a satisfactory musculocutaneous and axillary nerve block was not notably greater in either group. By contrast, a significantly higher success rate was observed for other nerves in the C6 group as compared to the C5 group: ulnar nerve block: 93% vs. 19%, radial nerve block: 96% vs. 28%, median nerve block: 96%, vs. 69%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During USG ISB placement, injection below the C6 level provided the same efficiency in analgesia after shoulder surgery as an injection cranial to the C5 nerve root but a greater success rate of anesthesia in all distal nerve areas. This technique could be very interesting for trauma cases as an alternative to a supraclavicular block and offers a high success rate and is simple to perform, potentially promoting wide use and quicker learning for beginners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Sud Réunion, Saint-Pierre, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Plante
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rontes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bloc
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delbos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001917:Brachial Plexus; D004058:Diffusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D012782:Shoulder / Q000601:surgery*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local