Local Twitches During Ultrasound-Guided Fascial Hydrorelease Occur Within Stacking Fascia: A Retrospective Analysis of a Large Video Archive

Ultrasound-guided fascial hydrorelease (FHR) occasionally elicits a brief localized contraction ("local twitch") at the moment the needle tip contacts a fascial layer; the anatomical basis of this reaction has not yet been systematically characterized. To examine local twitch occurrence relative to stacking fascia (yes/no) at the needle tip (primary outcome), as well as the anatomical distribution and per-video capture rate (secondary outcomes), we retrospectively analyzed 11,205 ultrasound videos from a single pain clinic (October 2015–March 2026). Twitches were identified by prospective clinical observation and computational screening (frame-difference-based Profile Match classifier; 417 candidates over 30 review rounds). The stacking fascia status was independently determined by two FHR-experienced clinicians, with discordant cases jointly adjudicated. Inter-rater agreement was 86/90 (95.6%; 95% CI 89.0–98.8%); one case was reassessed, deemed to not be a twitch, and excluded. In the final cohort (n = 89), local twitches occurred at stacking fascia in 89/89 (100%; 95% CI 95.9–100%). Events were concentrated in gluteal/pelvic (51%) and lumbar paraspinal (28%) regions, with a per-video capture rate of 0.98% (110/11,205; 95% CI 0.81–1.18%). Local twitches during ultrasound-guided FHR essentially always coincide with the needle tip lying within stacking fascia, identifying this as the structural locus within this cohort.