Hadzic's Regional Anesthesia > Part III. Clinical Practice of Regional Anesthesia > Section Six. Blocks for the Lower Extremity > Chapter 34. Obturator Nerve Block H. Bouaziz, MD

Obturator Nerve Block: Introduction

"Selective obturator nerve block was first described by Labat in 1922.¹ More interest in obturator nerve block emerged a few years later when Pauchet, Sourdat, and Labat stated, "obturator nerve block combined with blocks of the sciatic, femoro-cutaneous nerves, anesthetized the entire lower limb." However, a lack of clear anatomic landmarks, the block complexity, and inconsistent results were the reasons why this block had been used infrequently. Historically, Labat's classical technique remained forgotten until 1967, when it was modified by Parks.² In 1993, the interadductor approach was described by Wassef,³ which was further modified by Pinnock in 1996.⁴ In 1973, Winnie introduced the concept of the "3-in-1 block," an anterior approach to the lumbar plexus using a simple paravascular inguinal injection to anesthetize the femoral, lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh and obturator nerves.⁵ Since its description however, many studies have refuted the ability of the 3-in-1 block to reliably block the obturator nerve with this technique. However, with the introduction of modern nerve stimulators, selective blockade of the obturator nerve has become more reliable and has seen a resurgence of interest in recent times.Obturator nerve block is used to treat hip joint pain and is used in the relief of adductor muscle spasm associated with hemiplegia or paraplegia. Muscle spasticity is a relatively common problem among patients suffering from central neurologic problems, such..."