SIMPLIFIED TECHNIQUE OF LOCOREGIONAL ANES THESIA FOR THE SURGERY OF THE THUMB

Finger surgery is a frequent procedure, of short duration unless in ca se of major trauma, and often performed in emergency circumstances. In order to improve this type of treatment, we have developed distal blo ckade techniques. The double innervation in the thum requires two punc tures; a) dorsal, in order to block the superficial branch of the radi al nerve; b) palmar, through the flexor tendon sheath, allowing the bl ockade of the digital nerves, outing from the median nerve. We use bup ivacaine 0.5% without adrenaline, which offers high quality anaesthesi a and analgesia. This technique can be used outside the operating room , in emergency or X-ray rooms. It allows thumb anaesthesia, either alo ne for short duration or in an addition to a plexus blockade whose eff ect in the radial nerve area would be insufficient.