Anatomy-guided injections of botulinum neurotoxin in neck muscles: how accurate is needle placement?

BACKGROUND In cervical dystonia, the accuracy of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections may influence the response to the treatment. METHODS We used ultrasound to evaluate the accuracy of anatomy-guided injections of BoNT in the neck muscles. RESULTS Fifty-six consecutive patients and 332 injections were evaluated. The overall accuracy was 76.6%. The lowest accuracy (67.9%) was observed for the splenius capitis muscle. CONCLUSIONS Anatomic guidance of BoNT injections in the neck muscles is often inaccurate. Imaging guidance may improve the accuracy of BoNT injections in cervical dystonia.