Background. Nerve stimulation can facilitate correct needle placement in peripheral regional anesthesia. The aim of this study was to determine whether the high threshold current is associated with reduced nerve injury due to fewer needle-nerve contacts compared with low current. Methods. In anaesthetized pigs, thirty-two nerves of the brachial plexus underwent needle placement at low (0.2 mA) ...

The main goal of this project is to integrate the RadVision treatment planning software with the (Trans-Rectal Ultrasound ) or TRUS robot. The TRUS robot is used in place of a physical template for placing the radioactive seeds in prostate brachytherapy, a treatment for prostate cancer. This integration should allow the surgeon to position the needle of the robot more accurately with the new sy...

INTRODUCTION Knee osteoarthritis is characterized by inflammation in the intra-articular space or synovial membrane, breakdown of articular cartilage, and sclerosis of the subchondral bone. Intra-articular injections of Sodium hyaluronate which have viscoelastic and protective effect on articular cartilage and restores normal articular homeostasis. The efficacy of these injections is diminished...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate and validate the accuracy and safety of a technique using an anterior approach for non-image-guided intra-articular injection of the hip by use of anatomic landmarks. METHODS We enrolled 55 patients. Injections were performed before supine hip arthroscopy after landmarking and before application of traction. After the needle insertion, succ...

BACKGROUND Electromagnetic guidance reveals needle alignment and position relative to the image plane on an ultrasound view. This study compared the early learning curves of novices performing ultrasound-guided needle placement with (n = 10) or without electromagnetic guidance (n = 10). METHODS Participants performed 30 ultrasound-guided needle placements using an echogenic stick (0.3-cm diam...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the accuracy of manual needle placement for injection of botulinum toxin type A into the forearm muscles of adults with spastic flexed wrist and clenched fist as a consequence of stroke. DESIGN Prospective clinical study. PATIENTS A total of 41 adults with chronic stroke who were scheduled to receive botulinum toxin type A injection into the following forearm muscle...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Percutaneous portal vein (PV) stent placement is used to manage PV occlusion or stenosis caused by malignancy. The use of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has expanded to include vascular interventions. The aim of this study was to examine the technical feasibility and safety of EUS-guided transhepatic PV stent placement in a live porcine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This report describes the production of a low-cost ultrasound phantom of the lumbosacral spine. The phantom should be a very useful tool to teach the basic skills for ultrasound-guided procedures of the lumbosacral spine. METHODS A lumbosacral spine model is secured to the bottom of a microwave-safe container and is immersed in a concentrated gelatin solution. After ...

Needle insertion for percutaneous therapies is formulated as a trajectory planning and control problem. A new concept of needle steering is developed and a Needle Manipulation Jacobian is defined using numerical needle insertion models that include needle deflection and soft tissue deformation. This concept is used in conjunction with a potentialfield-based path planning technique to demonstrat...

tive technique for the percutaneous insertion of large-bore catheters into blood vessels that allowed for the application of angiocatheters for angiography. The Seldinger technique for central venous catheter (CVC) placement is ubiquitous in medical practice and the procedure is well known. Briefly, the procedure involves introducing a percutaneous needle into the vessel, passing a guidewire th...