Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2010
Is the musculocutaneous nerve really in the coracobrachialis muscle when performing an axillary block? An ultrasound study.
In reference textbooks describing axillary block, the ulnar, radial, and median nerves are located in a common sheath surrounding the axillary artery. In contrast, the musculocutaneous nerve is described as lying outside this sheath in the coracobrachialis muscle. In a recent case report of ultrasound-guided axillary block, the musculocutaneous nerve was joined to the median nerve outside this muscle. Our study evaluated the prevalence of atypical musculocutaneous nerve localizations during axillary block. ⋯ During axillary block, the musculocutaneous nerve is outside the coracobrachialis muscle in 1 of 5 patients. This atypical location should be considered during performance of axillary blockade to avoid repeated IM puncture.