The successful performance of an ultrasound-guided interfascial or peripheral nerve block is a highly complex process. These include to visualize nervous structures, to guide the needle to the target and to deposit local anesthetic solution around the nerve.

Since it is unethical to learn such a complex process on the patient, there are different phantom models for acquiring one’s skills in ultrasound-guided regional blocks.

The most realistic and closest to the patient are cadavers. All components of nerve block such as nerve anatomy, needle movement, fascial penetration, perineural fluid injection and inadvertent intraneural injection can be shown and learned. Therefore, when properly prepared, the use of cadavers is second to none for proper ultrasound procedural training and learning.

Cadavers provide an ideal tool for learning sonoanatomy and skills required for performing us-guided regional anaesthesia. In the meantime, the requirements for cadaver course have increased. The purely descriptive anatomy is no longer sufficient; newer conservation techniques make it possible to imitate a complete us-guided nerve block. This means first of all searching for and recognizing the target structure, advancing the puncture needle and injecting and perineural spreading the local anesthetic, another key component of successful block.

Even an intraneural needle position and spread of the local anesthetic as a sign of nerve damage can be demonstrated, a process that must be avoided at all times on the patient. Continuous procedures with catheter advancement and correct placement are also possible in cadavers.

Often it is not possible to identify the position of the catheter tip even with US and injection of fluid. Cadavers allow targeted search for the catheter tip by means of tissue dissection. Various needling techniques, in-plane and out-of-plane, can be learned, alignment of needle and US beam as well as hand-eye coordination.

For learning fascia blocks the feeling of the passage of fascias (pop sound) is important, which is felt very well with especially embalmed cadavers.

Likewise, the correct spread of the local anesthetic between two layers of fascia is shown in cadavers. While non-dissected cadavers are required for us-guided as well as for landmark-guided blocksa, the topographical anatomy of the nerves and the surrounding tissue can be demonstrated particularly well on dissected cadavers.