title: Sonographic tracking of trunk nerves: essential for ultrasound-guided pain management and research.
abstract: Delineation of architecture of peripheral nerves can be successfully achieved by high-resolution ultrasound (US), which is essential for US-guided pain management. There are numerous musculoskeletal pain syndromes involving the trunk nerves necessitating US for evaluation and guided interventions. The most common peripheral nerve disorders at the trunk region include thoracic outlet syndrome (brachial plexus), scapular winging (long thoracic nerve), interscapular pain (dorsal scapular nerve), and lumbar facet joint syndrome (medial branches of spinal nerves). Until now, there is no single article systematically summarizing the anatomy, sonographic pictures, and video demonstration of scanning techniques regarding trunk nerves. In this review, the authors have incorporated serial figures of transducer placement, US images, and videos for scanning the nerves in the trunk region and hope this paper helps physicians familiarize themselves with nerve sonoanatomy and further apply this technique for US-guided pain medicine and research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei, Taiwan; National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ke-Vin
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Peng
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Mackay Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Shiang
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Manoj K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Karmakar
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Özçakar
keywords: lumbar; nerve; pain; trunk; ultrasound