Buprenorphine with Lignocaine versus Lignocaine- A Double Blind Study

Local anesthetics interrupt neural conduction by inhibiting the influx of sodium ions through channels or ionophores within neuronal membranes. Normally these channels exist in a resting state, during which sodium ions are denied entry. When the neuron is stimulated, the channel assumes an activated or open state, in which sodium ions diffuse into the cell, initiating depolarization. Following this sudden change in membrane voltage, the sodium channel assumes an inactivated state, during which further influx is denied while active transport mechanisms return sodium ions to the exterior. Following this repolarization, the channel assumes its normal resting state. An appreciation of these sodium channel states helps to explain the preferential sensitivity of local anesthetics for various classes of neuronal fibers.