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Motor block in regional anaesthesia
Author(s) -
Haslam N.,
Broadhurst M.,
Duggan J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2001.02222.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ankle dorsiflexion , physical medicine and rehabilitation , heel , knee flexion , motor block , block (permutation group theory) , physical therapy , range of motion , anatomy , surgery , spinal anesthesia , geometry , mathematics
A device based on a load cell was constructed to measure the strength of foot dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. Performance of the device was evaluated for both movements. The influence of foot position within the device, its use over a 30‐min period at 30‐s intervals and the effect of the removal and reapplication of the device on measured force of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion was studied in six volunteers. Both dorsiflexion and plantarflexion are suitable movements on which to base a device to quantify the density of motor block during the onset and offset of neuraxial block. Dorsiflexion has a number of advantages: muscle strength is independent of knee position, and therefore a below‐knee device can be constructed; strength of dorsiflexion is less affected by the foot position; we found the device easier to apply using dorsiflexion as the heel tended to self‐locate; innervation of the muscles responsible for dorsiflexion involves fewer spinal segments.