BLOCKS OF NERVES SUPPLYING THE HEAD AND NECK

Cervical Plexus Blocks

The cervical plexus is formed by the union of the ventral rami of the first four cervical spinal nerves. It lies just lateral to the relevant vertebrae and provides sensory supply to the shoulders, neck, and posterior aspect of the head. Specific cervical plexus blocks are unusual in children because "high" supraclavicular brachial plexus blocks (i.e., interscalene and parascalene blocks) provide adequate analgesia for most of the operations performed on the neck. The cutaneous branches can be anesthetized by a series of subcutaneous injections along the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle from C2 to C5. The various and unusual techniques for blocking this plexus have been described by Péri and Mondié.^[286]