Which nerve block targets the sciatic nerve to numb the lower leg below the knee?

• A. GCS
• B. Pan Scan
• C. EKG
• D. Popliteal block

Answer: (D)

To numb the lower leg below the knee, you need to block the sciatic nerve where its distal branches are still joined. In the popliteal fossa, the sciatic nerve is right before it splits into the tibial and common peroneal nerves. A popliteal block interrupts signals in the sciatic nerve at that point, yielding numbness in most of the leg below the knee (foot included, with some small area supplied by other nerves). The other options aren’t nerve blocks at all—Glasgow Coma Scale assesses consciousness, Pan Scan is an imaging test, and EKG measures heart activity. So the popliteal block is the technique that targets the sciatic nerve to achieve anesthesia in the lower leg below the knee.