Investigation of the palatine approach as a novel technique to block the canine maxillary nerve: a comparative cadaveric study.

Palatine approach to maxillary nerve block shows inferior efficacy; infraorbital technique remains preferred.

This cadaveric study evaluated a novel palatine approach for canine maxillary nerve blockade and compared it to the established infraorbital technique. Ten canine heads were used, with bilateral injections of dye/contrast medium via either the infraorbital or palatine foramen. Anatomical dissection and CT imaging were performed to assess nerve staining and contrast spread. Results demonstrated that the palatine approach produced significantly shorter stained portions of the maxillary nerve (median 0 mm versus 35 mm) and had a substantially higher procedural failure rate (80% versus 20%). Both techniques showed similar contrast spread along the nerve pathway in 70% of cases, and comparable nasal turbinate contamination rates. The authors conclude that the palatine approach is not a suitable alternative to the infraorbital technique for maxillary nerve blocks in dogs due to its inferior efficacy and higher failure rate, limiting its clinical application.

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