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Evaluation of effects of sciatic and femoral nerve blocks in sheep undergoing stifle surgery

Lab Animal volume 40, pages 114–118 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

The authors evaluated the effects of locally anesthetizing the sciatic and femoral nerves in sheep undergoing stifle (femorotibial) surgery (16 sheep received nerve blocks; 16 sheep underwent a nerve localization procedure but received no nerve blocks). Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure and end-tidal isoflurane were recorded every 5 min while sheep were anesthetized. At some of the observed time points, the mean heart rate in the sheep that had received no nerve blocks was significantly higher than in the sheep that had received the nerve blocks. Postoperatively, each sheep was assigned scores for comfort and attitude, movement, flock behavior, feeding behavior and appetite and respiratory rate (based on predefined descriptions). Though the authors found no undesirable effects of this local anesthesia, beneficial effects of the nerve blocks were minimal or not readily apparent under the conditions of this study.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jennie Cohen and Hollie Tanner for their assistance with this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

    Ann E. Wagner,  Khursheed R. Mama,  Dana L. Ruehlman,  Sheila Pelkey &  A. Simon Turner

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  1. Ann E. Wagner
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  2. Khursheed R. Mama
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  3. Dana L. Ruehlman
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  4. Sheila Pelkey
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  5. A. Simon Turner
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Correspondence to Ann E. Wagner.

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Wagner, A., Mama, K., Ruehlman, D. et al. Evaluation of effects of sciatic and femoral nerve blocks in sheep undergoing stifle surgery. Lab Anim 40, 114–118 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban0411-114

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