Distance from the lumbar epidural space to the skin in Korean adults

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lumbar epidural block is a common regional anesthetic/analgesic technique. The depth of the epidural space beneath the skin surface varies from patient to patient at the same vertebral level. It also varies at different levels of the spinal column in the same patient. This study was performed to evaluate the correlations between the lumbar epidural depth and physical measurements depending on the puncture site. METHODS: Data was gathered from 1,653 patients who were undergoing elective lumbar epidural blocks for anesthesia during surgical procedures. The age, gender, height and weight were obtained from the medical records. We calculated the physical parameters such as the weight/height ratio, the body mass index (BMI) and Broca's index. Pearson's correlation analysis and regression testing between the lumbar epidural depth and the physical measurements were performed. RESULTS: The epidural depths at the L2-3, L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 intervertebral space were 4.4 +/- 0.62, 4.6 +/- 0.69, 4.6 +/- 0.69 and 4.1 +/- 0.52 cm, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the epidural depth and the weight/height ratio and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: The weight/height ratio and BMI showed the highest correlation with the lumbar epidural depth.