title: Ultrasound-guided block of the feline sciatic nerve.
abstract: This study was conducted to validate an ultrasound-guided technique to block the sciatic nerve in cats. An anatomical study was first carried out in four feline cadavers to evaluate the feasibility of the glutea (cranial and caudal), femoris and poplitea ultrasonographical approaches for the sciatic nerve block. The results showed that the femoris approach was optimal because the region was free of vascular and bony structures, and the needle was easily visualised in-plane. Then, the efficacy of the femoris ultrasonographical approach to block the sciatic nerve was tested in six healthy adult experimental cats. A dose of 2 mg/kg lidocaine 2% diluted in saline to a final volume of 1 ml was administered in all cats. The blockade was successful in all cases and the cats recovered uneventfully. This study shows the usefulness of the femoris approach in performing an ultrasound-guided blockade of the sciatic nerve in cats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haro
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laredo
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Eliseo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Belda
authors.forename: María D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agut
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000294:innervation; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*