Regional Anesthesia for Dentistry and Orofacial Surgery in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Anesthesiology
• Primate Research
• Orofacial Surgery

Background:

• Regional anesthesia is crucial for orofacial procedures in animals and humans.
• Specific nerve block techniques for rhesus monkeys are not well-documented.
• Rhesus monkeys are vital models in biomedical research, requiring welfare considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and validate regional anesthesia techniques for maxillary and mandibular nerves in rhesus monkeys.
• To establish anatomical landmarks and optimal injection parameters for these nerve blocks.
• To provide practical guidance for anesthetizing rhesus monkeys during orofacial procedures.

Main Methods:

• Anatomical examination of rhesus monkey skulls to identify foramina and landmarks.
• Thiazine dye injections into cadaver heads to visualize nerve coverage and diffusion.
• Dissection to confirm dye placement and nerve immersion.
• Estimation of minimum effective dye volume for saturation.

Main Results:

• Detailed techniques for blocking the maxillary nerve and its branches (greater palatine, nasopalatine, infraorbital).
• Detailed techniques for blocking mandibular nerve branches (inferior alveolar, mental, lingual, long buccal).
• Demonstration of successful dye immersion of target nerves, confirming technique efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Regional anesthesia of the maxillary and mandibular nerves is feasible in rhesus macaques.
• These techniques offer a practical approach to enhance animal welfare during painful orofacial procedures.
• This research provides essential guidelines for veterinary anesthesiology in non-human primates.