The purpose of our educational exhibit is to: 1. illustrate the normal anatomy and normal US appearance ofBrachial Plexus; 2. describe a systematic technique for US evaluation of this structure; 3. produce anatomical schemes with didactic purpose and show correlations with sonographic imaging.

Ultrasonography is an established method for peripheral nerves imaging. Ultrasound of normalnerves:characteristic “honeycomb” appearance in short axis, where the hypoechoic nerve fascicles are surrounded by hyperechoic connective tissue and collagen. In the long axis, peripheral nerves present as long, slim structures with a mixture of parallel hyperechogenic lines , representing the perineurium , between two more prominent and also hyperechogenic layers of the epineurium. . This image resembles that of an electric cable. The brachial plexus is a network of nerve fibres that supplies the...

Exploration of the brachial plexus requires a high frequency probe,generally between 10 and 18MHz. Based on topographic anatomy, some anatomical regions can be identified when we want study the different components of the brachial plexus: 1.the paravertebral region; It is important to have some landmarks thatwill help find the actual level of the roots: -thyroid gland; -the transverse process of C7; -vertebral artery. The probe is positioned in a horizontal plane at the level of the thyroid gland.Move the probe laterally and find the transverse...

USpresents equal specificity and greater sensitivity than MR imaging in the evaluation of Brachial Plexus, but allows also a quick, real-time and dynamic imaging and the possibility to compare the US findings against the contralateral side.It enables the identification of post-traumatic changes of nerves, neuropathies secondary to compression syndromes, inflammatory or neoplastic nerve lesions as well as the evaluation of postoperative complications. It is increasingly used in anesthesiology for regional anesthesia.