title: Real-time visualization of ultrasonography guided cubital tunnel injection: a cadaveric study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe an ultrasonography-guided technique for cubital tunnel injection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ulnar nerves from 12 elbows of 6 adult cadavers were scanned, and the cross-sectional areas of the ulnar nerves, cubital tunnel inlets and outlets were measured by using ultrasonography. All elbows were dissected after an ultrasonography-guided dye injection at the inlet of the cubital tunnel. The dissectors evaluated the spread of dye and the coloration of the nerve and remeasured the cross-sectional areas of the cubital tunnel inlets and outlets.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a real-time visualization of an ultrasonography-guided injection, the ulnar nerves were seperated from the medial groove for the ulnar nerve. All the ulnar nerves of the cadavers were successfully colored with the dye, from the inlet to oulet of the cubital tunnel. The post-injection cross-sectional areas were significantly larger than the pre-injection cross-sectional areas. No significant differences were detected in the post-injection cross-sectional areas of the cubital tunnel outlet and the ulnar nerve as compared with the pre-injection areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians should consider real-time visualization of ultrasonography for guided injection around the ulnar nerve at the inlet of the cubital tunnel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon 403-720, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun-Mi
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Min-Wook
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kim