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Background and ObjectivesThe erector spinae plane (ESP) and retrolaminar blocks are ultrasound-guided techniques for thoracoabdominal wall analgesia involving injection into the musculofascial plane between the paraspinal back muscles and underlying thoracic vertebrae. The ESP block targets the tips of the transverse processes, whereas the retrolaminar block targets the laminae. We investigated if there were differences in injectate spread between the 2 techniques that would have implications for their clinical effect.MethodsThe blocks were performed in 3 fresh cadavers. The ESP and retrolaminar blocks were performed on opposite sides of each cadaver at the T5 vertebral level. Twenty milliliters of a radiocontrast dye mixture was injected in each block, and injectate spread was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging and anatomical dissection.ResultsBoth blocks exhibited spread to the epidural and neural foraminal spaces over 2 to 5 levels. The ESP block produced additional spread to intercostal spaces over 5 to 9 levels and was associated with a greater extent of craniocaudal spread along the paraspinal muscles.ConclusionsThe clinical effect of ESP and retrolaminar blocks can be explained by epidural and neural foraminal spread of local anesthetic. The ESP block produces additional intercostal spread, which may contribute to more extensive analgesia. The implications of these cadaveric observations require confirmation in clinical studies.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESParavertebral block (PVB) is an established technique for providing anesthesia for breast surgery. The primary objective was to compare anatomical landmark technique (ALT) to the ultrasound-guided (USG) PVB block for providing surgical anesthesia. Secondary objectives included comparison of perioperative analgesia and complications. METHODSThis randomized, controlled, observer-blinded study included 72 females, aged 18 to 65 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II, undergoing elective unilateral breast surgery. Study participants were randomized to the ALT group or USG group. Ipsilateral PVB was performed with the respective technique from T1 to T6. Five milliliters of local anesthetic mixture (0.5% ropivacaine, 5 μg/mL adrenaline, 1 μg/kg clonidine) was administered at each level. Paravertebral catheter was inserted at T4/T3 level. After confirming sensory loss, patients were taken up for surgery with propofol sedation (20–50 μg/kg per minute). RESULTSMore patients in the USG group (34/36 [94.44%]) had a successful block as compared with the ALT group (26/36 [72.22%]) (P = 0.024). Difference in proportion was 18.1 (95% confidence interval, 0.15–36.0) (P = 0.024) after adjustment for age. More dermatomes were blocked in the USG group (P = 0.0018) with less sparing of upper T2 and T3 dermatomes (P = 0.003, P = 0.006, respectively). Median time to first postoperative analgesic requirement was 502.5 minutes (range, 195–1440 minutes) in the USG group versus 377.5 minutes (range, 215–1440 minutes) in the ALT group. Pain at rest and movement 2 and 4 hours postoperatively and number of catheter top-ups in 24 hours postoperatively were lesser in the USG group (P = 0.012). Complications were comparable. CONCLUSIONSUltrasound-guided PVB provided better anesthesia and perioperative analgesia than the landmark technique for breast surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATIONThe trial was registered retrospectively at the Clinical Trial Registry of India, CTRI/2015/05/005774.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESThe knee joint is the most common site of osteoarthritis. While joint replacement is considered an ultimate solution, radiofrequency denervation may be contemplated in some cases. Radiofrequency ablation requires precise localization of the articular branches innervating the joint capsule. The objective of this cadaveric study was to determine the source, course, relationships, and frequency of articular branches innervating the anterior knee joint capsule. METHODSFifteen knees were meticulously dissected. The number and origin of the articular branches were recorded, and their distribution defined by quadrants. Their relationships to anatomical landmarks were identified. RESULTSThe articular branches terminated in 1 of the 4 quadrants with minimal overlap. In all specimens, the superolateral quadrant was innervated by the nerve to vastus lateralis, nerve to vastus intermedius, superior lateral genicular and common fibular nerves; inferolateral by the inferior lateral genicular and recurrent fibular nerves; superomedial by the nerve to vastus medialis, nerve to vastus intermedius and superior medial genicular nerve; and inferomedial by the inferior medial genicular nerve. In 3 specimens, the inferomedial quadrant also received innervation from the infrapatellar branch of saphenous nerve. All articular branches except the nerves to vastus lateralis and medialis course at the periosteal level. CONCLUSIONSThe frequency map of the articular branches provides an anatomical basis for the development of new clinical protocols for knee radiofrequency denervation and perioperative pain management.

The identification of femoral landmarks is a common procedure in multiple academic fields. Femoral bone coordinate systems are used particularly in orthopedics and biomechanics, and are defined by landmarks, axes and planes. A fully automatic detection overcomes the drawbacks of a labor-intensive manual identification. In this paper, a new automatic atlas- and a priori knowledge-based approach that processes femoral surface models, called the A&A method, was evaluated. The A&A method is divided in two stages. Firstly, a single atlas-based registration maps landmarks and areas from a template surface to the subject. In the second stage, landmarks, axes and planes that are used to construct several femoral bone coordinate systems are refined using a priori knowledge. Three common femoral coordinate systems are defined by the landmarks detected. The A&A method proved to be very robust against a variation of the spatial alignment of the surface models. The results of the A&A method and a manual identification were compared. No significant rotational differences existed for the bone coordinate system recommended by the International Society of Biomechanics. Minor significant differences of maximally 0.5° were observed for the two other coordinate systems. This might be clinically irrelevant, depending on the context of use and should, therefore, be evaluated by the potential user regarding the specific application. The entire source code of the A&A method and the data used in the study is open source and can be accessed via https://github.com/RWTHmediTEC/FemoralCoordinateSystem .

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: The aim of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the dental, dentoalveolar, and skeletal changes occurring right after the rapid maxillary expansion (RME) and slow maxillary expansion (SME) treatment using Haas-type expander. METHODS: All subjects performed cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) before installation of expanders (T1) and right after screw stabilization (T2). Patients who did not follow the research parameters were excluded. The final sample resulted in 21 patients in RME group (mean age of 8.43 years) and 16 patients in SME group (mean age of 8.70 years). Based on the skewness and kurtosis statistics, the variables were judged to be normally distributed and paired t-test and student t-test were performed at significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Intermolar angle changed significantly due to treatment and RME showed greater buccal tipping than SME. RME showed significant changes in other four measurements due to treatment: maxilla moved forward and mandible showed backward rotation and, at transversal level both skeletal and dentoalveolar showed significant changes due to maxillary expansion. SME showed significant dentoalveolar changes due to maxillary expansion. CONCLUSIONS: Only intermolar angle showed significant difference between the two modalities of maxillary expansion with greater buccal tipping for RME. Also, RME produced skeletal maxillary expansion and SME did not. Both maxillary expansion modalities were efficient to promote transversal gain at dentoalveolar level. Sagittal and vertical measurements did not show differences between groups, but RME promoted a forward movement of the maxilla and backward rotation of the mandible. RESUMO OBJETIVO: o objetivo do presente ensaio clínico randomizado foi avaliar as transformações dentárias, dentoalveolares e ósseas que ocorrem imediatamente após o tratamento com expansão rápida da maxila (ERM) e lenta (ELM) usando expansores do tipo Haas. MÉTODOS: todos os indivíduos foram submetidos a tomografias computadorizadas de feixe cônico (TCFC) antes da colocação dos expansores (T1) e imediatamente após a estabilização do parafuso (T2). Os pacientes que não seguiram os parâmetros da pesquisa foram excluídos. A amostra final constou de 21 pacientes no grupo ERM (idade média de 8,43 anos) e 16 no grupo ELM (idade média de 8,7 anos). Com base em estatística de assimetria e curtose, as variáveis foram consideradas de distribuição normal, e os testes t pareado e t de Student foram realizados, com nível de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: o ângulo intermolares mudou significativamente devido ao tratamento, e o grupo ERM apresentou maior inclinação vestibular do que o grupo ELM. O grupo ERM mostrou alterações significativas em outras quatro medidas devido ao tratamento: a maxila apresentou deslocamento anterior e a mandíbula, rotação posterior; no nível transversal, houve tanto alterações ósseas quanto dentoalveolares significativas, devido à expansão maxilar. O grupo ELM apresentou alterações significativas devido à expansão maxilar. CONCLUSÕES: apenas o ângulo intermolares apresentou diferença significativa entre as duas modalidades de expansão maxilar, com maior inclinação vestibular no grupo ERM. A ERM resultou, também, em expansão maxilar óssea, ao contrário da ELM. As duas modalidades de expansão maxilar promoveram, de forma eficiente, um ganho transversal em nível dentoalveolar. As medidas sagitais e verticais não apresentaram diferenças entre os grupos, mas a ERM promoveu o deslocamento anterior da maxila e a rotação posterior da mandíbula.

Human ventral temporal cortex (VTC) plays a pivotal role in high-level vision. An under-studied macroanatomical feature of VTC is the mid-fusiform sulcus (MFS), a shallow longitudinal sulcus separating the lateral and medial fusiform gyrus (FG). Here, we quantified the morphological features of the MFS in 69 subjects (ages 7–40), and investigated its relationship to both cytoarchitectonic and functional divisions of VTC with four main findings. First, despite being a minor sulcus, we found that the MFS is a stable macroanatomical structure present in all 138 hemispheres with morphological characteristics developed by age 7. Second, the MFS is the locus of a lateral–medial cytoarchitectonic transition within the posterior FG serving as the boundary between cytoarchitectonic regions FG1 and FG2. Third, the MFS predicts a lateral–medial functional transition in eccentricity bias representations in children, adolescents, and adults. Fourth, the anterior tip of the MFS predicts the location of a face-selective region, mFus-faces/FFA-2. These findings are the first to illustrate that a macroanatomical landmark identifies both cytoarchitectonic and functional divisions of high-level sensory cortex in humans and have important implications for understanding functional and structural organization in the human brain. •MFS identifies cytoarchitectonic and functional divisions of the fusiform gyrus.•MFS identifies the division between cytoarchitectonic areas FG1 and FG2.•MFS predicts functional transition in eccentricity bias map across age groups.•Structural–functional coupling between anterior MFS and mFus-faces/FFA-2

Background and objectivesPeripheral nerve block is an important component of the multimodal analgesia for total knee arthroplasty. Novel interventional techniques of ultrasound-guided nerve block supplying the posterior knee joint capsule require knowledge of the innervation of the posterior capsule. The objectives of this cadaveric study were to determine the course, frequency, and distribution of the articular branches innervating the posterior knee joint capsule and their relationships to anatomical landmarks.MethodsFifteen lightly embalmed specimens were meticulously dissected. The origin of articular branches was identified, their frequency recorded, and the course documented in relation to anatomical landmarks. The capsular distribution of articular branches was documented and a frequency map generated.ResultsIn all specimens, articular branches from the posterior division of the obturator and tibial nerves were found to supply the posterior capsule. Additionally, articular branches from common fibular nerve and sciatic nerve were found in eight (53%) and three (20%) specimens, respectively. The capsular distribution of tibial nerve spanned the entire posterior capsule. The posterior division of obturator nerve supplied the superomedial aspect of the posterior capsule overlapping with the tibial nerve. The superolateral aspect of the posterior capsule was innervated by the tibial nerve and, when present, the common fibular/sciatic nerves.ConclusionsFrequency map of the course and distribution of the articular branches and their relationship to anatomical landmarks form an anatomical basis for peripheral nerve block approaches that provide analgesia to the posterior knee joint capsule.

Objective To use deep learning to segment the mandible and identify three-dimensional (3D) anatomical landmarks from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, the planes constructed from the mandibular midline landmarks were compared and analyzed to find the best mandibular midsagittal plane (MMSP). Methods A total of 400 participants were randomly divided into a training group ( n  = 360) and a validation group ( n  = 40). Normal individuals were used as the test group ( n  = 50). The PointRend deep learning mechanism segmented the mandible from CBCT images and accurately identified 27 anatomic landmarks via PoseNet. 3D coordinates of 5 central landmarks and 2 pairs of side landmarks were obtained for the test group. Every 35 combinations of 3 midline landmarks were screened using the template mapping technique. The asymmetry index (AI) was calculated for each of the 35 mirror planes. The template mapping technique plane was used as the reference plane; the top four planes with the smallest AIs were compared through distance, volume difference, and similarity index to find the plane with the fewest errors. Results The mandible was segmented automatically in 10 ± 1.5 s with a 0.98 Dice similarity coefficient. The mean landmark localization error for the 27 landmarks was 1.04 ± 0.28 mm. MMSP should use the plane made by B (supramentale), Gn (gnathion), and F (mandibular foramen). The average AI grade was 1.6 (min–max: 0.59–3.61). There was no significant difference in distance or volume ( P  > 0.05); however, the similarity index was significantly different ( P  < 0.01). Conclusion Deep learning can automatically segment the mandible, identify anatomic landmarks, and address medicinal demands in people without mandibular deformities. The most accurate MMSP was the B-Gn-F plane.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESWhile existing studies about onabotulinumtoxinA for chronic migraines have focused on injection location and appropriate dosing, little consideration has been given to patient body habitus and its potential impact on efficacy. We hypothesized that with increasing patient body mass index (BMI) there would be more subcutaneous fat separating targeted muscle groups from the skin surface, such that standard 0.5-inch needles used in existing protocols may not allow intramuscular injection. This may have implications for treatment planning. METHODSAnatomically normal computed tomography scans of the head, neck, and face were randomly selected. Subjects were stratified into 4 groups based on BMI, with 30 patients in each group. Four standardized locations were chosen to obtain measurements from the skin surface to the underlying muscle fascia, including (1) frontalis, (2) temporalis, (3) semispinalis capitis, and (4) trapezius. RESULTSMedian depth for the temporalis was 12.65 mm (Q1 = 9.32 mm, Q3 = 15.08 mm) for the BMI greater than 35 kg/m group. Median depth for the semispinalis capitis was 13.77 mm (Q1 = 10.3 mm, Q3 = 15.7 mm) for the BMI 30 to 35 kg/m group, and 14.75 mm (Q1 = 11.00, Q3 = 17.00 mm) for the BMI greater than 35 kg/m group. Median depth for the trapezius was 13.95 mm (Q1 = 10.18 mm, Q3 = 19.00 mm) for the BMI greater than 35 kg/m group. These medians exceeded the length of the standard 0.5-inch (12.-mm) needle used in existing protocols. CONCLUSIONSOur study demonstrates that with increasing BMI there is a greater distance between the skin surface and the muscle fascia of muscles that are targeted for injection in standard chronic migraine botulinum toxin injection protocols. Because of this, patient body habitus may be an important factor in injection technique.

BackgroundDespite their emerging therapeutic relevance, there are many discrepancies in anatomical description and terminology of the articular nerves supplying the human knee capsule. This cadaveric study aimed to determine their origin, trajectory, relationship and landmarks for therapeutic purpose.MethodsWe dissected 21 lower limbs from 21 cadavers, to investigate the anatomical distribution of all the articular nerves supplying the knee joint capsule. We identified constant genicular nerves according to their anatomical landmarks at their entering point to knee capsule and inserted Kirschner wires through the nerves in underlying bone at those target points. Measurements were taken, and both antero-posterior and lateral radiographs were obtained.ResultsThe nerve to vastus medialis, saphenous nerve, anterior branch of obturator nerve and a branch from sciatic nerve provide substantial innervation to the medial knee capsule and retinaculum. The sciatic nerve and the nerve to the vastus lateralis supply sensory innervation to the supero-lateral aspect of the knee joint while the fibular nerve supplies its infero-lateral quadrant. Tibial nerve and posterior branch of obturator nerve supply posterior aspect of knee capsule. According to our findings, five constant genicular nerves with accurate landmarks could be targeted for therapeutic purpose.ConclusionThe pattern of distribution of sensitive nerves supplying the knee joint capsule allows accurate and safe targeting of five constant genicular nerves for therapeutic purpose. This study provides robust anatomical foundations for genicular nerve blockade and radiofrequency ablation.