Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Oct 2023
Innervation of thumb carpometacarpal joint: implications for diagnostic block and denervation procedures.
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is a common disorder that negatively impacts hand function. Denervation of the thumb CMC joint has emerged as a viable treatment option. However, the innervation pattern of the thumb CMC joint is controversial. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the articular branches supplying the thumb CMC joint and to document their relationship to anatomical landmarks to provide the foundation for image-guided diagnostic block and denervation procedures. ⋯ The thumb CMC joint was innervated by articular branches originating from the SBRN, DAN, LACN, PCBMN, TBMN and DBUN. The documented anatomical relationships provide the foundation to inform selective diagnostic block and denervation of the thumb CMC joint. Further investigations are needed to assess the clinical implications of the current study.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Oct 2023
Opioid tapering after surgery and its association with patient-reported outcomes and behavioral changes: a mixed-methods analysis.
Opioid tapering after surgery is recommended among patients with chronic opioid use, but it is unclear how this process affects their quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate how opioid tapering following surgery was associated with patient-reported outcome measures related to pain control and behavioral changes that affect quality of life. ⋯ Partial and complete opioid tapering within 90 days after surgery among patients with chronic opioid use was associated with improved patient-reported measures of pain control as well as behaviors that impact a patient's quality of life.