Spread of injected dye after ultrasound‐guided transversus abdominis plane block in cadavers

Transverse abdominis plane (TAP) block is done before abdominal surgery to relieve post surgery pain. A TAP block deposits local anaesthetic between transversus abdominis and internal oblique muscles, anesthetising the thoracolumbar nerves. Difficulty encountered when performing this procedure is consistency reaching T7‐L1 nerves. In previous TAP block studies, only some of these nerves were covered by dye, mimicking anaesthetic migration, in embalmed cadavers. The goal of this study is to explore techniques that enable TAP blocking of the T7 to L1 nerves. Different injected substances tested were methylene blue dye, green paint, red latex solution, gelatine and paint solution, and methylcellulose and paint solution in embalmed cadavers using ultrasound as a guide. Using methylcellulose and paint solution, T7 to L1 nerves were reached in embalmed cadavers with 20cc of methylcellulose/paint solution injected rostral and with 10 cc of methylcellulose/paint solution injected caudal to the umbilicus at the anterior axillary line. These clinical findings may provide anaesthesiologists with information to more consistently relieve pain and decrease recovery time. Grant Funding Source : Deparmental