Anatomical basis of transgluteal pudendal nerve block (original) (raw)

Background The pudendal nerve may become entrapped either within the pudendal canal or near the sacrotuberous ligament resulting in a partial conduction block. The goal of the present anatomical study was to assess a new transgluteal injection technique in terms of the precise injection site and the resulting distribution of the injected agent. Materials and methods This study was carried out using eight fresh human cadavers. An epidural needle with a removable wing was inserted and the catheter position visualized using MRI. Through the catheter 10 ml of gadolinium contrast medium was injected into three of the cadavers. A further four cadavers were injected with latex and blue pigment and the pelvi-perineal area of each then separated from the trunk for freezing before being cut into 4-8 mm thick sections with an electric bandsaw. One Wnal cadaver was injected with a mix of gadolinium (5 ml) and latex (5 ml) and both the MRI and anatomical procedures outlined above were performed.