Ultrasonic Morphological Study of the Great Auricular Nerve and Adjacent Structures

Morphological Study of the Great Auricular Nerve and Adjacent Structures by Ultrasound Imaging and Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation

Ultrasound-guided nerve block has the characteristics of high success rate, few complications, and high patient satisfaction. It has been widely used in brachial plexus and lumbar plexus nerve blocks. Studies of ultrasound-guided superficial cervical plexus block are mostly unsatisfactory, and may be due to anatomic localization of the puncture site rather than real-time ultrasound guidance. The great auricular nerve is the largest branch of the superficial cervical plexus and may be identified under ultrasound. The aim of this study is to establish the success rate of identification of the great auricular nerve by combining ultrasound imaging with transcutaneous nerve stimulation. In addition, we will study the relationship between the success rate of identification and the related factors of patients. Another purpose of this study is to locate the position where the great auricular nerve emerges the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The relationship between this point and the midpoint of posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and adjacent structures will also be studied.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Great Auricular Nerve

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 300

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Shanghai
    • Shanghai, Shanghai, China, 200003
      • Recruiting
      • Changzheng hospital
      • Contact: Hongbin Yuan, M.D; Phone Number: 86-21-81885821

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 80 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients who underwent surgery in our hospital during the study, especially neck surgery, such as cervical surgery, thyroid surgery, and carotid endarterectomy.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients undergoing surgery in changzheng hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

• Suffering from malignant tumors, poor overall condition
• Communication barriers, unable to objectively describe symptoms
• Huge mass in the neck

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Success rate of identification of the great auricular nerve combining ultrasound imaging with transcutaneous nerve stimulation	Proportion of patients who's great auricular nerve was identified by combining ultrasound imaging with transcutaneous nerve stimulation	1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in gender	Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they recognized the great auricular nerve or not, and the differences in gender composition were compared.	1 year
Difference in BMI	Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they recognized the great auricular nerve or not, and the differences in BMI were compared.	1 year
Difference in body fat rate	Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they recognized the great auricular nerve or not, and the differences in body fat rate were compared.	1 year
Difference in neck circumference	Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they recognized the great auricular nerve or not, and the differences in neck circumference were compared.	1 year
Success rate of identification of the great auricular nerve by ultrasound	Proportion of patients who's great auricular nerve was identified by ultrasound	1 year
Distance between GAP and M	the distance between the point where the great auricular nerve emerges the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the midpoint of posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle	1 year
SCM length	length of the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle	1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Xin Jiang, MD

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): May 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED): March 30, 2020
• Study Completion (ANTICIPATED): May 31, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 27, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2018
• First Posted (ACTUAL): October 2, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): January 2, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 29, 2019
• Last Verified: April 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: ultrasound; sternocleidomastoid muscle; Superficial Cervical Plexus block
• Other Study ID Numbers: CHANGZHENG2018-15

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No