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Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block

Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2015.

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Other Authors: Briers, N.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Briers, N.
author_browse Briers, N.
author_facet Briers, N.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2016 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2015.
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
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license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher University of Pretoria
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spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/53046 Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block Briers, N. u29165254@tuks.co.za Smit, Bianca UCTD Neuroanatomy Anatomy Health sciences theses SDG-03 SDG-03: Good health and well-being SDG-04: Quality education Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2015. Introduction The transverse abdominal plane (TAP), formed between the transversus abdominis muscle (TAM) and the internal oblique muscle (IOM), contains the thoracolumbar nerve plexus. The plexus is anaesthetised through a blind or ultrasound-guided TAP block, mainly used for post-operative pain management. Ultrasounds are not always readily available in the public sector, creating a need to improve the blind TAP block. The L1 nerve and its terminal branches, also running in the TAP, can be blocked with a TAP block or separately. By studying the anatomy of the nerve plexus, the TAP block and the iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal blocks could be improved. This study aimed to determine the course and branching patterns of the thoracolumbar nerve plexus, as well as the branching of the L1 nerve in the posterior abdominal wall before entering the TAP. Methods Bilateral dissections were done on 54 embalmed cadavers to examine the TAP by noting the number of nerves at the mid-axillary line (MAL) and at the linea semilunaris. The needle tip position, as well as the general branching patterns were evaluated. For the L1 dissections, the root contributions and branching patterns were evaluated before entering the TAP. Abdominal ultrasounds were taken bilaterally on 43 volunteers to measure depth, individual muscle layer thickness, and subcutaneous fat thickness on a line at the injection point and at the IOM and TAM tendon junction. Differences between sides and the effect of BMI categories were analysed. Results The average number of nerves from the MAL to the linea semilunaris increased by one nerve. The needle was in the correct plane in only 7.6% of cases, with the needle going too deep in 79.3% of cases. The pop method used in the blind TAP block ensures the needle tip is not too superficial, but it is easy to go deeper than required. A nerve was pierced in 6.5% of cases, while the mean distance between the needle tip and the closest nerve (4.56 mm 6.83 mm) indicated the needle tip is generally close enough to the nerves to provide anaesthesia without nerve damage. Nerve interactions observed includes branching or not, merging or not, or any combination thereof. Various variations were seen for the root contributions of the L1 nerve, affecting the innervation of the anterolateral abdominal wall. The fourth lumbar artery accompanied the L1 or its terminal branches to enter the TAP in 40.7% of cases. The IOM and TAM tendon junction appears as a hyperechoic dot on an ultrasound, which can be used as an additional landmark. Measurements revealed the needle should be advanced at least 2 cm and 3 cm in healthy and overweight BMI individuals respectively. Conclusions Notable differences were seen between the current study and studies using a different population, indicating the anatomy of the TAP block is specific to population. The anatomy surrounding the TAP showed significance for a South African population. By analysing the anatomy, this study adds ways to improve the blind and ultrasoundguided TAP blocks. em2025 Anatomy MSc Unrestricted SDG-03: Good health and well-being SDG-04: Quality education SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure 2016-06-10T07:18:41Z 2016-06-10T07:18:41Z 2016-04-22 2015 Dissertation Smit, B 2015, Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block, MSc Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/53046> A2016 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/53046 en © 2016 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Neuroanatomy
Anatomy
Health sciences theses SDG-03
SDG-03: Good health and well-being
SDG-04: Quality education
Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block
title Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block
title_full Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block
title_fullStr Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block
title_full_unstemmed Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block
title_short Anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane (TAP) block
title_sort anatomical variations of the thoracolumbar nerves with reference to transverse abdominal plane tap block
topic UCTD
Neuroanatomy
Anatomy
Health sciences theses SDG-03
SDG-03: Good health and well-being
SDG-04: Quality education
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/53046