Alan Hart Summer Studentship
Final year student, Katie Turnbull was awarded the Alan Hart Summer Studentship 2018. This allowed Katie to expand on the project she had undertaken for her dissertation with Dr Ourania Varsou – identifying the exact location of the superficial peroneal nerve (SPN).
The aim of the new study was to explore in more detail the additional branches of the SPN. Volunteers were recruited and their legs scanned using ultrasound. The information collected was very interesting highlighting the need for anaesthetists to search for additional branches when performing ankle blocks in their daily practice. This fact will hopefully reduce the number of failed ankle blocks.
Katie was very grateful for being awarded the Alan Hart Summer Studentship as it has enabled her to see the project through to an appropriate end. It has allowed her to work with experts in both anaesthesia and anatomy which has been a very enjoyable and educational experience. The results from these studies now need to be disseminated and included in teaching to help improve clinical practice and patient care.