Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 24, 2026

In Ovo Intravascular Injection in Chicken Embryos

In Ovo Intravascular Injection in Chicken Embryos

Published on: June 3, 2022

Comparison of Intravascular Injection Rate Between Blunt and Sharp Needles During Cervical Transforaminal Epidural

Younghoon Jeon¹, Jungwon Lee², Hyunho Shin³

¹Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.

|June 2, 2019

Abstract

Background:

Cervical transforaminal epidural block (CTEB) is a useful option in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical radicular pain. However, inadvertent intravascular injection can lead to severe neurologic complications. Blunt needles are considered to displace instead of penetrate vessels because of their dull needle tip.

Objectives:

To investigate whether there is a difference between blunt and sharp needles in intravascular injection rates during CTEB.

Study Design:

Prospective, randomized, clinical trial.

Setting:

A tertiary hospital in South Korea.

Methods:

After institutional review board approval, 108 patients undergoing CTEB for treatment of radicular pain resulting from spinal stenosis and herniated nucleus pulposus were randomly assigned to one of 2 needle groups (blunt needle or sharp needle). The needle position was confirmed using biplanar fluoroscopy, and 2 mL of nonionic contrast medium was injected to detect intravascular injection. Intravascular injection was defined as the contrast medium spreading out through the vascular channel during injection under real-time fluoroscopy. This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov.

Results:

The intravascular injection rate was not significantly different between the blunt needle and sharp needle groups (35.2% vs. 33.3%, P > 0.05). The procedure time was longer in the blunt needle group than in the sharp needle group (101.00 ± 12.4 seconds vs. 56.67 ± 8.3 seconds, P < 0.001).

Limitations:

This was a single-center study. Additionally, the physicians could not be blinded to the type of needle used.

Conclusions:

In the present study, use of a blunt needle did not reduce the rate of intravascular injection during CTEB compared to use of a sharp needle. In addition, procedure time significantly increased with blunt needle use compared to sharp needle use.

Key Words:

Analgesia, bleeding, blunt needle, cervical spine, clinical trials, complications, intravascular injection, radiculopathy, sharp needle, transforaminal epidural block.

More Related Videos

Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain

Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain

Published on: July 24, 2016

Ethanol-Induced Cervical Sympathetic Ganglion Block Applications for Promoting Canine Inferior Alveolar Nerve Regeneration Using an Artificial Nerve

Ethanol-Induced Cervical Sympathetic Ganglion Block Applications for Promoting Canine Inferior Alveolar Nerve Regeneration Using an Artificial Nerve

Published on: November 30, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...

The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...

Rate-Determining Steps

Rate-Determining Steps

Relating Reaction Mechanisms
In a multistep reaction mechanism, one of the elementary steps progresses significantly slower than the others. This slowest step is called the rate-limiting step (or rate-determining step). A reaction cannot proceed faster than its slowest step, and hence, the rate-determining step limits the overall reaction rate.
The concept of rate-determining step can be understood from the analogy of a 4-lane freeway with a short-stretch of traffic-bottleneck caused due to...

Reaction Rate

Reaction Rate

The rate of reaction is the change in the amount of a reactant or product per unit time. Reaction rates are therefore determined by measuring the time dependence of some property that can be related to reactant or product amounts. Rates of reactions that consume or produce gaseous substances, for example, are conveniently determined by measuring changes in volume or pressure.
The mathematical representation of the change in the concentration of reactants and products, over time, is the rate...

Multiple Comparison Tests

Multiple Comparison Tests

Multiple comparison test, abbreviated as MCT, is a post hoc analysis generally performed after comparing multiple samples with one or more tests. An MCT will help identify a significantly different sample among multiple samples or a factor among multiple factors.
It would be easy to compare two samples using a significance alpha level of 0.05. In other words, there is only one sample pair to be compared. However, it would be difficult to identify a significantly different sample if the number...

Block Diagram Reduction

Block Diagram Reduction

The process of deriving the transfer function of a control system often involves reducing its block diagram to a single block. This simplification can be achieved through a series of strategic operations, including relocating branch points and comparators. These operations preserve the overall function of the system while allowing for easier manipulation and combination of blocks.
The first step in this process is the identification and relocation of a branch point. A branch point, where a...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a "Sit Less" Program Leveraging Fitbit Tracking and Tailored Text Messages in Cardiometabolic Disease: Findings From 2 Parallel Randomized Controlled Trials in Coronary Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes.

JMIR mHealth and uHealth·2026

The impact of abutment- or implant-level fixed partial dentures on marginal bone level around implants in vertically thickened soft tissues: a 1-year follow-up randomized clinical trial.

Journal of periodontal & implant science·2026

Clinical performance and limitations of a vital sign-based electronic automatic notification system for suspected transfusion reactions: A 6-year experience.

Transfusion·2026

Do collagen membranes with different thickness-related mechanical properties affect the outcomes of lateral bone augmentation? An immunohistochemical analysis.

Clinical oral investigations·2026

Sleep Pattern Differences in Women at Midlife: A Large-Scale Multi-Country Smartwatch Study (SONAR).

Sleep·2026

Patient-centered perspectives and feelings on peri-implantitis and its therapy.

Periodontology 2000·2026

See all related articles