ArticleClinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.)2020
Intercostal nerve block of the anterior cutaneous branches and the sensibility of the female breast.
Article in Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07062458 (NIPSENSE - A Comparative Study of Nipple and Skin Sensation Preservation After Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy With Conventional, Endoscopic, and Robotic Techniques), which is not on this map. Cited by 15 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
NIPSENSE - A Comparative Study of Nipple and Skin Sensation Preservation After Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy With Conventional, Endoscopic, and Robotic Techniques
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of ultrasound-guided nerve block combined with PCIA analgesia on postoperative pain, inflammatory response, hospital stay, and adverse reactions in breast cancer surgery.African health sciences · 2025Trial
- Bilateral Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Block versus Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Breast Reduction Surgery: A Prospective, Randomized, Outcome Assessor- Blinded, Controlled Trial.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Article
- Anatomical basis for sensory preservation in robotic mastectomy.The British journal of surgery · 2025Article
- Single-port non-lipolytic endoscopic surgery via the axillary approach for the treatment of benign breast tumors has better clinical outcomes: a case control study.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Nerve Grafts in Breast Reconstruction: A Narrative Review.The breast journal · 2025Review
- Sensory recovery and the role of innervated flaps in autologous breast reconstruction-a narrative review.Gland surgery · 2023Review
- Factors associated with alteration of nipple or skin sensation and impact of duration of time following nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM): an analysis of 460 cases with comparison of conventional versus endoscopic- or robotic-assisted NSM.World journal of surgical oncology · 2023Article
- Enhanced Recovery After Aesthetic Breast Surgery Under Sedation, Intercostal Block and Tumescent Anaesthesia: A Prospective Cohort Study of the Early Postoperative Phase.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2023Article
- Research Progress on Serratus Anterior Plane Block in Breast Surgery: A Narrative Review.Pain and therapy · 2023Review
- Analgesic Efficacy of an Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Thoracis Plane Block Combined with an Intermediate Cervical Plexus Block on Postoperative Pain Relief After Trans-Areolar Endoscopic Thyroidectomy: A Single Center Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.Journal of pain research · 2023Article
- Effect of intercostal nerve block combined with oxycodone on the postoperative cognitive ability in elderly patients undergoing radical resection of lung cancer.American journal of translational research · 2022Article
- The altering in sensory sensitivity: a current issue of female breast surgery.International journal of medical sciences · 2022Review
- The postoperative analgesic effect of intercostal nerve block and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia on patients undergoing lung cancer surgery.American journal of translational research · 2021Article
- Intercostal nerve block of the anterior cutaneous branches and the sensibility of the female breast.Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.) · 2020Article
- Breast sensibility in bilateral autologous breast reconstruction with unilateral sensory nerve coaptation.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionBetter sensation in the reconstructed breast improves the quality of life. Sensory nerve coaptation is a valuable addition to autologous breast reconstruction. There are few publications concerning the sensory nerves of the breast and the nipple-areola complex and reports are contradictory, so it is unknown which nerve is best suited as a recipient for coaptation. The current study serves as a proof of concept. MATERIALS AND
methodsThe areas innervated by the anterior cutaneous branches (ACBs) of the intercostal nerves (ICNs) were studied on two separate occasions in two healthy women. First, the ACBs of ICNs 2-5 were individually blocked using ultrasound. Next, the ACBs of all levels were blocked simultaneously. Sensation was measured using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. The numbed areas corresponding to the ICNs were drawn in a raster of 2 × 2 cm.
resultsThe largest area was supplied by the ACB of the 4th ICN, located in the upper (UIQ) and the lower (LIQ) inner quadrants of the breast. The 2nd-largest area was supplied by the ACB of the 3rd ICN. Blockage of ACBs 2-5 affected sensation in the nipple and the areola.
conclusionsBlockage of all levels 2-5 partially affected sensation in the nipple-areola complex, suggesting innervation by a nerve plexus consisting of both ACBs and lateral cutaneous branches (LCBs). ACB4 supplied the largest area of the breast in the UIQ and LIQ and could be best suited for sensory nerve coaptation to optimize sensation in the autologously reconstructed breast.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.