Ultrasound Guided Tibial and Common Peroneal Nerve Block in Donkey

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ultrasound as a guiding tool for efficient desensitization of tibial and common peroneal nerves in donkeys. Six clinically normal donkey cadavers’ hind limbs and eight clinically normal mature donkeys were included in this study. Two of the cadaver’s hind limbs were dissected for anatomical investigation while the remaining four limbs and the live animals were used for the ultrasonographic study. The tibial and common peroneal nerves of cadaveric limbs were injected with 1ml of methylene blue 1% under ultrasound guidance and dissected to evaluate the accuracy of injection. In live animals the nerves were blocked under ultrasonographic guidance using 10 ml of lidocaine 2% (Debocaine 2%) for each nerve. The Onset time, and duration of analgesia and nerve depth from skin surface were calculated. Our results revealed complete staining of the nerves after methylene blue injection with a success rate of 100%. The study on live animals showed complete desensitization of limb distal to the tarsal joint which started 5±0.5 and4.5±1 minutes and lasts for 48±6and 64±6 minutes after tibial and common peroneal nerves block respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the meanskin nerve depth of tibial nerve was 9.777±0.455mm while in common peroneal nerve, it was 3.621±0.631mm. Our study concluded that ultrasound is considered safe, economic, and accurate tools in blocking tibial and common peroneal nerves. Moreover, blocking of these nerves is sufficient for complete distal hind limb desensitization.