Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 1984
Comparative StudyElectrical nerve location: numerical and electrophoretic comparison of insulated vs uninsulated needles.
We compared the electrical characteristics of insulated and uninsulated needles in two models that simulate use of a stimulator for nerve localization. With a digital computer, we solved for and graphed the contours of constant electric field strength, defining regions of simulated tissue in which a nerve would become depolarized for a particular stimulation current. ⋯ We also found that the necessary stimulator current is much more dependent on the depth of needle insertion with uninsulated needles than with insulated needles. We conclude that the electrical characteristics of insulated needles are more favorable for successful nerve block.