Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia in Veterinary Practice

Ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia has become an indispensable component of modern veterinary perioperative care, offering targeted analgesia with reduced reliance on systemic opioids and general anaesthesia. By visualising nerves, surrounding structures and local anaesthetic spread in real time, practitioners can achieve precise blockade of peripheral nerves in diverse species—from companion animals to livestock and research models. This approach enhances analgesic efficacy, shortens recovery times and minimises cardiovascular and respiratory side-effects. Adoption has been driven by advances in high-resolution linear transducers, portable ultrasound units and refined needle-in-plane techniques that improve safety and reproducibility. Mastery of species-specific anatomy, combined with an understanding of sono-anatomical landmarks, underpins successful application across a range of procedures, including limb orthopaedics, dental and head-and-neck surgery. Globally, ultrasound-guided techniques are reshaping veterinary anaesthesia protocols, fostering welfare improvements in both clinical and field settings, and enabling minimally invasive interventions that align with evolving standards of animal care.

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Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia in Veterinary Practice publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia in veterinary practice across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Regional anaesthesia: The administration of local anaesthetic to block sensation in a specific body region by targeting peripheral nerves or nerve plexuses.

Ultrasound guidance: The use of real-time ultrasonography to visualise anatomical structures and monitor needle placement during nerve block procedures.

Peripheral nerve block: A form of regional anaesthesia involving the injection of local anaesthetic adjacent to a single peripheral nerve to inhibit sensory and motor conduction.

Interfascial plane: The anatomical space between layers of fascia where local anaesthetic can diffuse to reach multiple neural branches.

Perineural injection: The precise deposition of anaesthetic solution around the circumference of a nerve sheath under imaging guidance.

References

1. A novel extraoral ultrasound-guided approach for mandibular nerve block in Rahmani sheep. BMC Veterinary Research (2024).
2. Ultrasound-guided perineural injection of the saphenous nerve in goat cadavers. Irish Veterinary Journal (2024).
3. Proximal Perineural Femoral Nerve Injection in Pigs Using an Ultrasound-Guided Lateral Subiliac Approach—A Cadaveric Study. Animals (2021).