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Visualizing Peripheral Nerves Using Ultrasound-Guided Approach

NCT00221949 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 16

Last updated 2008-12-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Peripheral nerve blocks of the limbs are very useful in providing anesthesia and pain relief for orthopedic procedures in the limbs (elbows, arms, knees, and legs). Considering that current nerve block techniques involve locating the main nerves at the top of the limb and "freezing" those neural structures in order to provide pain relief to the rest of the extremity, a comprehensive study of the nerves located lower in the limbs is needed. This study provides a step in the direction of the development of techniques for advanced nerve blockade that target nerve structures lower in the limbs to provide precise pain relief rather than widespread numbness.

The objective of the study aims to use direct ultrasound guidance to develop a comprehensive examination and identification of the peripheral nerves in the lower region of the upper and lower limbs (arms and legs). In a sense, this process allows us to "visualize" the nerves. In the future, with the experience of visualizing these nerves with the ultrasound machine, we can develop techniques that may allow us to perform anesthetic blockade with greater success and fewer complications.

An ultrasound exam will be performed on 8 healthy volunteers to view the peripheral nerves in the lower arm in three locations: the elbow area, the wrist area, and the midpoint of the arm between the elbow and the wrist. A set of 8 healthy patients will be given an ultrasound exam to view the peripheral nerves located in the lower leg by imaging three locations: the knee area, the ankle area, and the midpoint of the leg between the knee and the ankle. The appropriate nerves will be identified by ultrasound and images will be captured and recorded for further corroboration. The group of 16 subjects will allow for varied observations of anatomical positions of neural and vascular structures, while keeping the sample size fairly small. No injections will be made at any time during this study.

Conditions

  • Regional Anesthesia

Interventions

DEVICE

Ultrasound

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Health Network, Toronto

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Vincent Chan, MD · University Health Network, Toronto

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00221949 on ClinicalTrials.gov