Pain relieving effect of scalenotomy.

A follow-up was made of 37 patients treated by section of the anterior scalenus muscle. They complained of pain and/or paraesthesia in the upper extremities and tenderness over the muscle. All experienced relief of pain after injection of a local anaesthetic into the anterior scalenus muscle. Twenty-five patients were markedly improved. Patients with neurological signs seem to have a better result than those without (P = 0.06).