[Methods for Accurately Locating "Feishu" (BL 13) in Rats]

"Feishu" (BL 13) is a commonly used acupoint in experimental study,'but its definite position has not been described in current books about acupoints. In the'present paper, the authors introduced three methods for determining the anatomical location of "Feishu" (BL 13) acupoint in rats. The Wistar rats (200 ± 20) g were anesthetized with 10% chloral hydrate first, and then, fixed at the prone position. The highest point of the spinous process of the second thoracic vertebra was used as the marker for positioning the spinal vertebra. The point, 7 mm lateral to the site below the spinous process of the 3rd thoracic vertebra is just the "Feishu" (BL 13). In order to determine the 3rd thoracic vertebra, three methods are recommended to be adopted: 1) finding the 5th thoracic vertebra process parallel to the inferior angle of the scapula first, then going upwards to find the 3rd thoracic vertebra , 2) finding the 1st thoracic vertebra along the 1st rib, then going downward to find the 3rd thoracic vertebra, and 3) taking the 6th lumbar vertebra (parallel to the hip-joint) as the bone-marker and going upward to find the 3rd thoracic vertebra. When "Feishu" (BL 13) punctured, a filiform needle was straight inserted into the skin, then downward to the subcutaneous tissue, muscular layer (including the trunk cutaneous muscle, trapezius muscle, broadest muscle of back, serratus muscle of back, atalanto-longest muscle, longest muscle of neck, longest muscle of thorax, lumbar longest muscle, the medial part of the longest muscle, cervico-spinal muscle of back-, semispinal muscle of neck, biventer cervicis, and multifidus muscles) about 6 mm in depth.