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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

An Anesthesia, Surgery, and Harvest Method for the Evaluation of Transpedicular Screws Using an In Vivo Porcine Lumbar Spine Model
09:07

An Anesthesia, Surgery, and Harvest Method for the Evaluation of Transpedicular Screws Using an In Vivo Porcine Lumbar Spine Model

Published on: May 31, 2017

Epidural loss-of-resistance biomechanics: an open pilot cadaver study.

William P McKay1, Timothy Rosser, Stefan Kriegler

  • 1Department of Anesthesia, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

Local and Regional Anesthesia
|August 24, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Formalin-preserved cadavers are too stiff for accurate epidural placement studies. Saline injection during loss-of-resistance (LOR) epidural placement generates higher forces than air, potentially preventing dural puncture.

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Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Anatomical Research

Background:

  • Epidural needle placement relies on the loss-of-resistance (LOR) technique.
  • Understanding the biomechanics of LOR is crucial for safe and effective epidural anesthesia.
  • Cadaveric models are often used to study procedural techniques, but their tissue properties may differ from live subjects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure the dynamic biomechanics of loss-of-resistance (LOR) epidural needle placement in prone cadavers.
  • To estimate the forces and stresses exerted on epidural tissues immediately following LOR.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of saline versus air for LOR in this model.

Main Methods:

  • An instrumented epidural syringe and 17G Hustead needle were used to record plunger force, chamber pressure, and needle movement.
Keywords:
cadaverepidural anesthesiaspinal headache

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

An Anesthesia, Surgery, and Harvest Method for the Evaluation of Transpedicular Screws Using an In Vivo Porcine Lumbar Spine Model
09:07

An Anesthesia, Surgery, and Harvest Method for the Evaluation of Transpedicular Screws Using an In Vivo Porcine Lumbar Spine Model

Published on: May 31, 2017

  • Epidural insertions were performed in five formalin-preserved cadavers.
  • LOR was achieved using either saline or air, with X-ray confirmation of needle placement.

    • Main Results:

    • Formalin-preserved cadaver tissues are significantly stiffer than those of live humans.
    • Saline injection during LOR resulted in significantly greater fluid thrust forces compared to air (19.3 N vs. 0.17 N).
    • The stress exerted on epidural tissues was comparable for both air and saline, and exceeded the outward pressure of cerebrospinal fluid.

    Conclusions:

    • Formalin-preserved cadavers present limitations as a model for generalizing epidural biomechanics to live subjects due to tissue stiffness.
    • Continuous plunger pressure during epidural needle advancement may help prevent dural puncture by pushing the dura away from the needle tip.
    • Saline appears to be more effective than air for LOR in this experimental setup, yielding higher thrust forces.