ReviewCurrent pain and headache reports2021
A Review of Techniques of Intercostal Nerve Blocks.
Review in Current pain and headache reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 16 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Noninferiority of Ultrasound-Guided Modified Intercostal Block to Traditional Approach for Analgesia After Minimally Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum in Children: A Randomized Trial.Pain research & management · 2026Trial
- Comparison of the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided superficial serratus anterior plane block and intercostal nerve block for rib fractures: a randomized controlled trial.BMC anesthesiology · 2025Trial
- Application of erector spinae plane block and thoracic paravertebral block in thoracoscopic lobectomy.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Trial
- Comparison of liposomal bupivacaine and bupivacaine hydrochloride intercostal nerve blocks for postoperative analgesia after thoracic surgery: a multicenter, randomized, three arms trial protocol.Annals of medicine · 2026Article
- Thoracoabdominal nerves block through the perichondrial approach: a narrative review.Korean journal of anesthesiology · 2026Review
- When all else fails: a narrative review of surgical options for intercostal neuralgia from a plastic surgery perspective.Journal of thoracic disease · 2026Review
- Intercostal Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation: A Comprehensive Review of Evolving Techniques and Clinical Applications.Advances in therapy · 2026Review
- Flurbiprofen Axetil Combined with Ultrasound-Guided Intercostal Nerve Block for Preoperative Analgesia in Patients with Traumatic Multiple Rib Fractures: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Pain and therapy · 2026Article
- Efficacy and safety of intercostal nerve block for postoperative analgesia in patients with stage III tuberculous empyema: a retrospective study based on propensity score matching.Journal of thoracic disease · 2025Article
- Analysis and Tracking of Intra-Needle Ultrasound Pleural Signals for Improved Anesthetic Procedures in the Thoracic Region.Biosensors · 2025Article
- The Role of Regional Anesthesia in ICU Pain Management.Current pain and headache reports · 2025Review
- Ultrasound-guided perineural intercostal autologous platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of chronic post-thoracotomy pain syndrome - A prospective case series.Interventional pain medicine · 2024Article
- A bibliometric analysis and visualization of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Article
- Modified pericostal suture technique to reduce postoperative pain and provide optimum anatomic restoration after conversion of minimally invasive thoracic surgery to thoracotomy.Kardiochirurgia i torakochirurgia polska = Polish journal of cardio-thoracic surgery · 2023Article
- Regional anesthesia for thoracic surgery: a narrative review of indications and clinical considerations.Journal of thoracic disease · 2022Review
- Current Strategies in Pain Regimens for Robotic Urologic Surgery: A Comprehensive Review.Anesthesiology and pain medicine · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purpose of reviewIntercostal nerve blocks are indicated for multiple chronic pain and acute pain conditions including rib fractures, herpes zoster, post-thoracotomy pain syndrome, and intercostal neuralgia. Intercostal neuralgia is a type of neuropathic pain that is in the distribution of intercostal nerves. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the different techniques used to perform intercostal nerve blocks and review their efficacy and safety including blind technique using anatomical landmarks, and fluoroscopically guided and ultrasound-guided intercostal nerve blocks. RECENT
findingsLiterature search was performed with the keywords including intercostal neuralgia, treatment, intercostal nerve blocks, and radiofrequency ablation on PubMed and Google Scholar. Three studies and one case report were identified. Literature review revealed that ultrasound-guided techniques and fluoroscopically guided techniques are superior to landmark-based technique in terms of efficacy. There was no difference in efficacy and complication rates between ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance. Ultrasound-guided techniques and fluoroscopically guided techniques can both be performed safely and effectively for various chronic pain conditions. Ultrasound guidance has its advantages of direct visualization of nerves, vessels, muscles, and the lung. It is potentially a superior technique in terms of improving accuracy and decreasing complications. Further large population randomized control studies should be conducted to compare the efficacy of intercostal nerve blocks performed under ultrasound and fluoroscopy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.