Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2025

Author Spotlight: Developing Cost-Effective and Durable Ultrasound-Guided 3D-Printed Nerve Block Trainers
Published on: February 9, 2024
A randomized, controlled simulation study comparing single and double operator ultrasound-guided regional nerve block
Betül Güven Aytaç1, Şeyma Ünal, İsmail Aytaç
1Department of Anesthesia, Health Science University, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Background:
The aim of this study was to compare anesthesiology residents' acquisition of gripping and needling skills in either single-or double-operator ultrasound-guided nerve block using a hand-made phantom.
Design:
Prospective, randomized controlled study.
Methods:
After a tutorial session, 47 ultrasound-novice residents performed needling with double and single operator (Jedi, Bedforth, On-lock) grip techniques in each of the 3 interventional task sessions.
Results:
The time to perform the correct grip and needling decreased significantly between sessions for each technique (P < .001). While the double operator tasks required a shorter time than the single operator tasks in all 3 sessions (P < .001), there was no significant difference between the single-operator techniques. The number of needling attempts was similar between techniques and sessions. Participants rated the workload higher for the single-operator techniques on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index.
Conclusion:
Hands-on training of phantom models may be beneficial for the acquisition of single-operator grip skills.
Related Concept Videos
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia
One of the advantages of...
Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Surface, Infiltration, and Conduction Block Anesthesia

