Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39217283›Full record

ArticleBMC neurology2024

An anatomical analysis of the occipital nerve complex: an essential tool for the application of occipital nerve blocks.

Latif Saglam, Osman Coskun, Mehmet Guven Gunver, Aysin Kale, Ozcan Gayretli

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Latif SaglamDepartment of Anatomy, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Millet Caddesi, Fatih, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey. latif.saglam@istanbul.edu.tr.
Osman CoskunDepartment of Anatomy, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Millet Caddesi, Fatih, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey.
Mehmet Guven GunverDepartment of Biostatistics, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Aysin KaleDepartment of Anatomy, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Millet Caddesi, Fatih, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey.
Ozcan GayretliDepartment of Anatomy, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Millet Caddesi, Fatih, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOccipital nerve blocks are essential in diagnosing and treating headache disorders such as migraine, cervicogenic headache, occipital neuralgia, and cluster headache. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential compression points of the greater occipital nerve (GON), third occipital nerve (TON), and lesser occipital nerve (LON) which are targeted to block in occipital nerve blocks and to develop a method to detect these points easily.

methodsTo identify potential compression points of the GON, TON, and LON, we dissected 43, 41, and 26 cadavers, respectively. A rigid, transparent tool divided into 1 × 1 cm sections was placed on the external occipital protuberance to measure the determined points. The cadaveric head was viewed from above, vertically, and the coordinates corresponding to each point were noted separately.

resultsSix, four, and one potential entrapment points were detected for the GON, TON, and LON, respectively. The distances of the point where the GON arose from the lower border of the obliquus capitis inferior muscle and the emerging point of the TON from the C2-C3 vertebrae to the posterior midline were statistically significant in terms of the sides (p = 0.040). Similarly, there was a statistical significance between genders for the distance of the point where the LON arose from the posterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle to the posterior midline (p = 0.002).

conclusionsWe believe that with the method developed, the GON, TON, and LON compression points can be easily localized and blocked in diagnosing and treating patients experiencing headaches such as migraines, cervicogenic headaches, occipital neuralgia, and cluster headache.

Indexed as

Nerve BlockSpinal NervesAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCadaverFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedAnatomyBlockHeadacheMethodOccipital nerve

Identifiers

PMID39217283
PMCPMC11365165

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.