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British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2003, Vol. 90, No. 4 509-511
© 2003 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

Short Communications

Could ultrasonography be used by an anaesthetist to identify a specified lumbar interspace before spinal anaesthesia?

M. J. Watson1,4, S. Evans2,5 and J. M. Thorp3

1 Department of Anaesthetics, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK. 2 Department of Radiology, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, Glasgow G11 6NT, UK. 3 Department of Anaesthetics, Monklands Hospital, Airdrie ML6 0JS, UK 4 Present address: Department of Anaesthetics, Shelly Court, Gartnavel General Hospital,Glasgow G12 0WN, UK 5 Present address: Department of Radiology, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley PA2 9PN, UK

Corresponding author. E-mail: mwatson@doctors.org.uk

Background. Insertion of a needle into the lumbar subarachnoid space may cause damage to the spinal cord. Current techniques to identify a safe interspace have limitations. Ultrasound was investigated as a means to improve anatomical accuracy.

Methods. Seventeen patients attending for elective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine were studied. Ultrasonic identification of the L3–4 interspace was attempted by an anaesthetist and a marker was placed. A radiologist identified the anatomical location of the marker on the MRI scan.

Results. Thirteen out of 17 markers were at the L3–4 interspace; four were at the L2–3 interspace.

Conclusions. These results suggest that ultrasonography may be a useful adjunct to safe subarachnoid anaesthesia.

Br J Anaesth 2003; 90: 509–11


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