Ultrasound Guided Tibial and Common Peroneal Nerve Block in Donkey

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ultrasound as a guiding tool for efficient 
desensitization of tibial and common peroneal nerves in donkeys. Six clinically normal 
donkey cadavers’ hind limbs and eight clinically normal mature donkeys were included in 
this study. Two of the cadaver’s hind limbs were dissected for anatomical investigation while 
the remaining four limbs and the live animals were used for the ultrasonographic study. The 
tibial and common peroneal nerves of cadaveric limbs were injected with 1ml of methylene 
blue 1% under ultrasound guidance and dissected to evaluate the accuracy of injection. In 
live animals the nerves were blocked under ultrasonographic guidance using 10 ml of 
lidocaine 2% (Debocaine 2%) for each nerve. The Onset time, and duration of analgesia and 
nerve depth from skin surface were calculated. Our results revealed complete staining of the 
nerves after methylene blue injection with a success rate of 100%. The study on live animals 
showed complete desensitization of limb distal to the tarsal joint which started 5±0.5 
and4.5±1 minutes and lasts for 48±6and 64±6 minutes after tibial and common peroneal 
nerves block respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the meanskin nerve depth of tibial 
nerve was 9.777±0.455mm while in common peroneal nerve, it was 3.621±0.631mm. Our 
study concluded that ultrasound is considered safe, economic, and accurate tools in blocking 
tibial and common peroneal nerves. Moreover, blocking of these nerves is sufficient for 
complete distal hind limb desensitization. 

Keywords

Main Subjects