چكيده لاتين :
BACKGROUND: Finger injuries are very common and the majority can be treated under digital block anesthesia. Traditional
digital block is one of the most commonly performed blocks by care providers in several medical fields. There is
another less known method, transthecal (Pulley) block, in which local anesthesia is injected into the flexor tendon
sheath.
METHODS; A randomized clinical trial was performed to compare the transthecal (Pulley) and traditional digital block
with regard to the length of anesthesia and the need for another anesthetic method (due to insufficient anesthesia) as a
supplement. We divided 100 patients who needed digital block due to finger injury, into two groups randomly. In each
group the patients were anesthetized either by traditional or transthecal digital block. All blocks were performed by the
same investigator.
RESULTS: Mean length of anesthesia was 34.2 minutes in the transthecal digital block method versus 33.8 minutes in the
traditional digital block method (P(GREATER THAN)0.05). A repeated injection or local infiltration as a supplement was necessary only
in 5 instances in the traditional digital block method (P(LESS THAN)0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Regarding fewer injections and reduced amounts of lidocaine, absence of neurovascular bundles damage
and comparable length of anesthesia and no need to supplemental anesthesia, transthecal digital block is an appropriate
alternative to traditional digital block.
