Annals of palliative medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided above-knee lateral approach for popliteal sciatic nerve block in surgeries below the knee: a randomized controlled trial.
Ultrasound guidance has become a standard method for detection of nerve structures in regional anesthesia. During ultrasound-guided blockade, to identify anatomical structures is crucial but can be challenging. In clinical practice, we find a wide difference in the visibility score of the sciatic nerve (SN) through different approaches. This study aimed to compare SNB through the anterior and above-knee lateral approach in terms of identification ease, performance efficacy, and safety. ⋯ Based on the visibility score, the above-knee lateral approach allowed easy SN identification and safe SNB. Using the ultrasound-guided above-knee lateral approach for SNB in below-knee surgeries could be a reliable choice.