The position of conus medullaris in Chinese adult population / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the variation in the position of conus medullaris in Chinese adult population in order to avoid hitting conus during spinal puncture. Methods Eight hundred patients suffering from back pain, aged 18-91 yr, were enrolled in this study. The position of conus medullaris was determined using Siemens 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging system. According to the method described by Reimann, the vertebral body was used as mark of reference to the level of the end of conus. Results There were 190 patients in whom the position of the end of conus medullaris was lower than L1,2 . The incidence of the position of the end of conus medullaris lower than L1,2 was higher in patients 30-60 or older than in those under 30, and in those over the age of 60 than in those 30-60 (P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion Spinal puncture should be performed cautiously at L2,3. CT or MRI is recommended before operation for the patients to locate the position of conus medullaris and avoid injury to the spinal cord.