Joint, bone, spine : revue du rhumatisme
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Usefulness of a pre-procedure ultrasound scanning of the lumbar spine before epidural injection in patients with a presumed difficult puncture: A randomized controlled trial.
Ultrasound (US) is widely used in rheumatology to study and guide injection of peripheral joints. It can also provide useful information about the anatomy of the lumbar spine. Studies have shown that US examination of the spine was a useful tool to help perform epidural anaesthesia. The purpose of the study was to determine if the selection of the optimum puncture level by US may facilitate epidural steroid injection in case of presumed difficult puncture (BMI>30 kg/m(2), age>60 years or lumbar scoliosis). ⋯ US of the lumbar spine was feasible in patients with lumbar conditions even in obese and old ones and allowed the visualization of the epidural space. However, pre-procedure US examination did not reduce pain during the procedure.