Selected recent publications relevant to regional anaesthesia. For each paper: what it found or adds, as the authors report it, with the context and a link to the original.
2026.
Technical report · Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine · July 2026
Superficial peroneal nerve accessory artery: a vascular landmark in the mid-calf for ultrasound-guided ankle block
Coffey D, Skerritt CJ. Reg Anesth Pain Med. Published online 24 July 2026. doi:10.1136/rapm-2026-107792
What this paper adds
Describes a small artery beside the superficial peroneal nerve in the mid-calf that can help find the nerve for ankle block.
Every other nerve in an ultrasound-guided ankle block has a known neighbouring vessel. This is a technical report from the authors' clinical practice at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh, not a formal study.
Read the report ↗Original research · BMJ · July 2026
Epidural analgesia in labour and neonatal and childhood outcomes: national population based cohort study
Kearns RJ, Kyzayeva A, Singh S, et al. BMJ. 2026;394:e343320. doi:10.1136/bmj-2026-343320
What this study found
Epidural analgesia in labour was not associated with clinically significant harm to newborns or children, including cerebral palsy.
A national cohort of births in Scotland. It is observational, so it shows association rather than cause; the results were consistent across subgroups, including high-risk pregnancies and preterm births.
Read the study ↗Clinical review · BJA Education · July 2026
Anaesthesia and analgesia for total knee arthroplasty
de Carvalho CC, Miles J, Sebastian MP. BJA Educ. 2026;26(7):267–276. doi:10.1016/j.bjae.2026.03.004
What this paper adds
A practical overview of anaesthesia and analgesia for knee replacement, including spinal anaesthesia and motor-sparing blocks.
An educational review rather than new research, focused on effective analgesia, early mobilisation and recovery.
Read the review ↗Editorial · Anaesthesia · March 2026
Strengthening governance in regional anaesthesia: balancing collective competence and risk management
Jamal N, Smith A. Anaesthesia. 2026;81:1047–1051. doi:10.1111/anae.70190
What this paper adds
Argues that governance in regional anaesthesia should build collective clinical competence as well as reduce risk.
An opinion piece. It points to structured teaching, simulation, supervised practice, block rooms and peer-led training, alongside standardised safety processes.
Read the editorial ↗These summaries are for professional education. They do not replace reading the full publication, local guidance or individual clinical judgement.