SUPRASCAPULAR NERVE SYNDROME AS REVEALED BY NEW (ANTERIOR) APPROACH IN INDUCTION OF BLOCK

MY INTEREST in the suprascapular nerve stems from the year 1946, when I encountered in rapid succession three cases of causalgia with phantom limb and spasms in arm stumps, attaining permanent relief in all by alcohol block of the suprascapular nerve. 1 One of these patients reported recently to show me the latest type of artificial limb he was using. He has had no recurrence of the painful phenomenon in the 8 years. However, finding the standard posterior approach too involved, I sought a more facile anterior approach, with the result shown in the Figure, in which the nerve is all but subcutaneous (subfascial). With the incentive offered by this handier approach, I have studied 50 cases of suprascapular neuritis through the 8-year period since the occurrence of this case. From these data (Tables) there emerges a definite syndrome. SUPRASCAPULAR NERVE SYNDROME The patients come into the office complaining of