2.4. Performance of Sciatic Nerve Block

Inhalational anesthesia with isoflurane in a mixture of oxygen and nitric oxide through a face mask was administered before the sciatic nerve block. The body temperature of the mice was maintained at 37 °C using a hot plate. The sciatic nerve block was performed percutaneously by injection of local anesthetics using a 29-GA needle (Omnican^®, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Melsungen, Germany). During the injection of local anesthetics, the mouse was put in a lateral position so that the leg on which the block was performed formed a right angle with the longitudinal axis of the torso. The needle was introduced posteromedially in the direction of the greater trochanter of the femur and directed anteromedially. The local anesthetics were injected upon contact of the needle with the bone [27]. Eighty-five microliters of local anesthetics was used to achieve a sufficient dose of LB and BH.