Ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block using a ventral suprainguinal approach in healthy dogs

Objective

To determine whether an ultrasound (US)-guided femoral nerve block using a ventral suprainguinal approach could be successfully achieved in sedated dogs; to measure the time to execute the nerve block, onset time, duration, and complete block rate in sensory and motor nerves; and to examine any differences between two volumes for injection.

Study design

Blinded crossover experimental study.

Animals

A total of 10 clinically healthy adult Beagle dogs.

Methods

The femoral nerve of the right pelvic limb was infiltrated with 0.5% bupivacaine at 0.4 (treatment 0.4B) or 0.2 mL kg^?1 (treatment 0.2B), or saline at 0.4 mL kg^?1 (control) in sedated dogs. The sensory and motor nerve functions were scored on a scale of 0 (complete blockade) to 2 (normal). The onset time and duration of the sensory and motor nerve blockade were compared between treatments 0.4B and 0.2B using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. Sensory and motor nerve function scores for each of the three treatments were compared at multiple time points using a nonparametric multiple comparisons test.

Results

The time to execute the nerve block was 2.5 ± 0.9 minutes (n = 30). For both 0.4B and 0.2B treatments, the onset times of both the sensory and motor nerve blockades were 15 minutes. The durations of the sensory nerve blockade for 0.4B and 0.2B were 9.9 ± 1.4 and 10.0 ± 1.2 hours, respectively, and those of the motor nerve blockades were 10.5 ± 1.3 and 10.2 ± 1.3 hours, respectively. No adverse effects were noted. No significant difference was observed between 0.4B and 0.2B.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

A US-guided femoral nerve block using a ventral suprainguinal approach demonstrated a short onset and long duration with 0.5% bupivacaine 0.2 mL kg^?1 and can be performed under sedation in dogs.