The Caudal Space in Children: Ultrasound Evaluation

Caudal anesthesia is commonly employed in pediatrics to produce postoperative analgesia in low abdominal or urologic surgery.

An exact understanding of the anatomy of the sacral area including sacral hiatus and surrounding structures is crucial to the success of caudal block.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the anatomy of the caudal space in pediatrics by ultrasound evaluation.

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Key information

Conditions

Hydrocele Congenital Abnormalities Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities Cryptorchidism Endocrine System Diseases Female Urogenital Diseases Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Genital Diseases Genital Diseases, Male Genitourinary Disease Gonadal Disorders Hernia Hernia, Abdominal Hernia, Inguinal Hypospadia Hypospadias Inguinal Hernia Male Urogenital Diseases Pathological Conditions, Anatomical Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Penile Diseases Testicular Diseases Testicular Hydrocele Urogenital Abnormalities Urogenital Diseases

Age range

Up to 7 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine

Seoul, 120-752, South Korea

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Patients aged 0 - 84 months who were scheduled to undergo elective urological surgery.

Exclusion criteria

Patients with any contraindication to caudal epidural block were excluded.

coagulopathy
allergy to local anesthetics
infection at the puncture site

Treatment and study plan

ultrasound evaluation of caudal space

Other

After induction of general anesthesia, the patients were placed in the lateral position. The ultrasound evaluation include transverse and longitudinal view.

First, investigators place the transducer at the sacral cornua to obtain a transverse view.

In the transverse view, the distance between two cornua and the depth of caudal space at the sacral hiatus were measured. In the longitudinal view, the distance from the skin to the sacrococcygeal membrane and the optimal angles and the safety distance for needle insertion depending on the points of insertions were measured. From the end of dura sac to the sacral hiatus were regarded as safety distance for the needle insertion during caudal block.

Primary outcomes

ultrasound evaluation of caudal space

Time frame: Right after induction of general anesthesia, the patients were placed in the lateral position. The ultrasound evaluation include transverse and longitudinal view.

First, investigators place the transducer at the sacral cornua to obtain a transverse view.

In the transverse view, the distance between two cornua and the depth of caudal space at the sacral hiatus were measured. In the longitudinal view, the distance from the skin to the sacrococcygeal membrane and the optimal angles and the safety distance for needle insertion depending on the points of insertions were measured. From the end of dura sac to the sacral hiatus were regarded as safety distance for the needle insertion during caudal block.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yonsei University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2013
Primary completion: 2014
Study completion: 2014
First posted: Jul 11, 2013
Registry last updated: Jul 28, 2014

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed