NCT01326988

Real-time Ultrasound-guided Spinal Anesthesia:A Feasibility Study

Feasibility Study of the Use of Real-time Ultrasound Guidance to Administer Spinal Anesthesia

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 100 (actual)
• Sponsor: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The traditional landmarks to locate the injection site and orientation of the spinal needle for spinal anesthesia are based on palpation of surface bony landmarks. However the actual injection target into the CSF is located at an unknown depth inside the patients 3 dimensional spinal anatomy which can itself vary in its orientation relative to these surface markers.Also bony surface markers may not be palpable in some patients or the patient may have altered spinal alignment. Thus an already blind procedure can become even more misguided involving multiple trial and error needle insertions. On the other hand ultrasound allows visualisation of deep target structures which are impalpable, it allows assessment of spinal alignment and thus directs the orientation of the seeking needle more accurately. Performing US in real-time during needle insertion gives continuous feedback about the correct needle approach path which should reduce the number of blind needle passes.

Conditions

• Ultrasound Spinal Anesthesia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Real-time ultrasound guided spinal anesthesia	The neuraxial US scan will be performed with the patient in the sitting or lateral position with the hip and knees slightly flexed using full aseptic technique. The spinal needle will be inserted in real-time under direct ultrasound guidance to administer the spinal anesthetic.

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-04-01
• Primary completion: 2011-10-01
• Completion: 2011-10-01
• First posted: 2011-03-31
• Last updated: 2012-02-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada