Nerve blocks of the foot.

Emergency treatment of foot injuries can be made less painful by regional block anesthesia. There is limited medical literature on these techniques and many physicians, while familiar with regional anesthesia of the upper extremity, are not experienced with nerve blocks in the lower extremity. Infiltration anesthesia of the plantar structures of the foot and toes can be very painful and may inhibit healing. Regional anesthesia avoids both of these problems and can prove effective and useful. This paper discusses the techniques and possible complications of nerve block anesthesia of the foot.