BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Percutaneous sacroplasty has recently gained attention as a potential treatment for sacral insufficiency fractures. We describe a readily identifiable fluoroscopic landmark that facilitates needle placement and validate this with virtual needle placement by using CT data and fluoroscopically guided treatment in 13 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS From CTs of 100 consecut...

An image overlay system is presented to assist needle placement in conventional CT scanners. The device consists of a flat LCD display and a half mirror and is mounted on the gantry. Looking at the patient through the mirror, the CT image appears to be floating inside the patient with correct size and position, thereby providing the physician with two-dimensional “X-ray vision” to guide needle ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To investigate the differences in the number of squamous epithelial cells carried to the spinal canal by three different types of spinal needle tip of the same size. METHODS Patients were allocated into three groups (Group I, Group II, Group III). Spinal anesthesia was administered to Group I (n=50) using a 25G Quincke needle, to Group II (n=50) using a 25G pencil po...

OBJECTIVES For needle insertion and guidewire placement during central venous catheterization, a thin-wall introducer needle technique and a cannula-over-needle technique have been used. This study compared these two techniques regarding the success rates and complications during internal jugular vein catheterization. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, controlled study. SETTING A university-af...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine which type of spinal needle is preferred from a cost perspective, taking into account costs of the spinal needle and treatment of postlumbar puncture headache. METHODS A decision-analytic model was created to determine the cost of diagnostic lumbar punctures using atraumatic and cutting needles. We assumed a health care system perspective and b...

The Seldinger technique was developed using a plastic introducer through which introduction and manipulations of a silicone spinal catheter, an extradural stimulation lead or a small diameter fibreoptic scope are possible without the risk of damage to the vulnerable devices. It is not intended as a replacement of the standard technique of introducing a spinal catheter through a Tuohy needle in ...

To the Editor:—We read with interest the case report by Sala-Blanch et al. The authors describe an unorthodox but interesting treatment for patients undergoing continuous sciatic nerve block that raises several concerns. In short, using computed tomographic imaging without clear clinical indication, the authors documented that nerve stimulator–guided needle placement during sciatic nerve block ...

BACKGROUND Pain referral patterns of asymptomatic costotransverse joints have not been established. The objective of this study was to determine the pain referral patterns of asymptomatic costotransverse joints via provocative intra-articular injection. METHODS Eight asymptomatic male volunteers received a combined total of 21 intra-articular costotransverse joint injections. Fluoroscopic ima...