• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.195-197
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• 2012

Sacral nerve stimulation through the retrograde approach has been used for peroneal or irritable bowel syndrome through the retrograde approach. However, several reasons, lead could not be advanced down ward. In this case, anterograde sacral nerve stimulation through the sacral hiatus could be used. The aim of this report is to present of technique of sacral nerve root stimulation through the sacral hiatus approach.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.253-259
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• 2014

Background: Caudal block is a common technique in children for reducing postoperative pain, and there have been several reports on the variations of the sacral canal in children. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the needle trajectory for caudal block, and there is limited information on the structural variations of the sacrum in children. The purpose of this study was to analyze the anatomic variations of sacral canals in children. Methods: Three-dimensional computed tomographic images were analyzed. The data from the images included (1) fusion of the sacral vertebral laminae and the sacral intervertebral space (2) existence of the sacral cornua and (3) the types of sacral hiatus. The types of sacral hiatus were classified into 3 groups: group I (fusion of S3 or S4 vertebral laminae), group II (unfused vertebral arch with the distance of the S3 and S4 vertebral laminae < 50% of the distance between the cornua), and group III (unfused vertebral arch with the distance of the S3 or S4 vertebral laminae ${\geq}50%$ of the distance between the cornua). Results: A total of 143 children were included in this study. All of the sacral vertebral arches were not fused in 22 children (15.4%). Cornua were not identified bilaterally in 5 (3.5%) and unilaterally in 6 (4.2%) children. In the sacral hiatus, group II and group III were identified in 22 (15.4%) and 31 (21.7%) children, respectively. Conclusions: The sacral canal has various anatomical variations in children. Careful attention must be paid to identify the correct anatomic landmark.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.40-45
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• 2007

Background: Caudal block is useful when anesthesia for surgery or treatment for chronic pain is needed, but this procedure has a failure rate of up to 25% even when it performed byan experienced physician. This high failure rate is usually due to improper needle placement. Methods: After gaining approval of the ethics committee, 46 patients received caudal blocks under ultrasound guidance; these were performed after the anatomical structures in the sacral hiatus had been measured with ultrasound. All these procedures were performed by the same anesthesiologist. The position and direction of the needle were identified using fluoroscopy by injecting a radio-opaque contrast through the needle. The time taken from thelidocaine injection to verification of the needle was measured and the planned nerve block was then carried out. Results: All cases of needle insertion into the sacral canal under ultrasound guidance were successful. The average duration of the procedure and the trial count were $134.1{\pm}10.1seconds$ and $1.2{\pm}0.1$, respectively. In 12 of the 46 cases (26%), the needle deviated either left or right in the sacral canal, so the direction of the needle had to be adjusted. The distance between two cornua, the depth of the sacral hiatus and the thickness and length of the sacrococcygeal ligament were $17.1{\pm}0.4$, $3.9{\pm}0.3$, $2.3{\pm}0.1$ and $24.9{\pm}0.9mm$, respectively. Conclusions: Ultrasound guidance can increase the success rate of inserting a needle into the sacral canal. However, even when ultrasound is used, the needle can deviate either left or right in the sacral canal.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.392-395
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• 2013

Epiduroscopy is very useful in the treatment of not only low back pain caused by failed back surgery syndrome, epidural scar or herniated disc but also by chronic refractory low back pain which does not respond to interventional conservative treatment including fluoroscopically-directed epidural steroid injections and percutaneous adhesiolysis. Because cauterization using a laser fiber has become recently available, a wider opening is required to enter into the sacral canal in the case of epiduroscopic laser neural decompression (ELND). However, in a few patients, it is difficult to insert a device into the epidural space due to stenosis around the opening, and there is no alternative method. Herein, we report a case where a hiatus rasp specially designed for such patients was used to perform the operation.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.122-128
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• 2015

Background: Caudal epidural injections have been commonly performed in patients with low back pain and radiculopathy. Although caudal injection has generally been accepted as a safe procedure, serious complications such as inadvertent intravascular injection and dural puncture can occur. The present prospective study was designed to investigate the influence of the depth of the inserted needle on the success rate of caudal epidural blocks. Methods: A total of 49 adults scheduled to receive caudal epidural injections were randomly divided into 2 groups: Group 1 to receive the caudal injection through a conventional method, i.e., caudal injection after advancement of the needle 1 cm into the sacral canal (n = 25), and Group 2 to receive the injection through a new method, i.e., injection right after penetrating the sacrococcygeal ligament (n = 24). Ultrasound was used to identify the sacral hiatus and to achieve accurate needle placement according to the allocated groups. Contrast dyed fluoroscopy was obtained to evaluate the epidural spread of injected materials and to monitor the possible complications. Results: The success rates of the caudal injections were 68.0% in Group 1 and 95.8% in Group 2 (P = 0.023). The incidences of intravascular injections were 24.0% in Group 1 and 0% in Group 2 (P = 0.022). No intrathecal injection was found in either of the two groups. Conclusions: The new caudal epidural injection technique tested in this study is a reliable alternative, with a higher success rate and lower risk of accidental intravascular injection than the conventional technique.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.23-28
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• 2016

Background: Sacral nerve stimulation is a therapeutic option with demonstrated efficacy for conditions presenting with perineal pain caused by different etiologies. We aimed to assess whether a sacral electrode ($Interstim^{(R)}$, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) inserted through the caudal pathway is able to offer an acceptable level of sacral stimulation and rate of catheter migration. Methods: We present 12 patients with pelvic pain who received sacral neuromodulation via the sacral hiatus with the InterStim electrode. We evaluated patient satisfaction as well as migration and removal of the electrode, if necessary. Results: Our experience included 12 patients, 10 women and two men, with a mean age of 60 years. In eight of the 12 patients, the initial therapy was effective, and the final system implantation was performed. During subsequent follow-up, patient satisfaction was good. To date, there have been no cases of electrode displacement or migration. Conclusions: The caudal insertion of the InterStim electrode, with its own fixation system, and initially designed for transsacral insertion, appears in our experience to be a satisfactory option which can minimize electrode displacements, achieving similar results in therapeutic efficacy and causing no difficulties in removal.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.134-137
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• 1997

We report a case of cauda equine syndrome following caudal anesthesia possibly caused by metastatic spine tumor. Male, 80-year-old, who had prostatic carcinoma with $L_3$ and $L_4$ spine metastasis was scheduled for bilateral orchiectomy. Twenty two-gauge needle was introduced at sacral hiatus and 15 ml of 2% lidocaine administered. The next morning, patient complained of perineal numbness and urination difficulty. During the next several day patient had episodes of fecal incontinence and motor weakness on both lower extremities. This case reminded us that neuroaxial blocks such as spinal, epidural and caudal anesthesia, should be used with extreme care in patients having neoplasm with high incidence of spine metastasis.

• 해부∙생물인류학
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.145-154
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• 2016

이 연구에서는 경막바깥신경성형술 시행에 있어서 중요한 엉치뼈틈새에서 경막주머니종말부 및 척수원뿔 사이의 거리를 자기공명영상에서 계측하여 한국인의 생체 연구에 대한 기초 자료를 제공하고자 한다. 허리통증으로 자기공명영상을 촬영한 환자 중 척추압박골절이나 척추전방전위증 그리고 기형 등이 없는 환자 200명(남자 88명, 여자 112명)을 대상으로 하였으며, 평균 연령은 54.3세(20~84세), 평균 신장은 161.3 cm(135~187 cm)이었다. T2강조 자기공명영상을 이용하여 엉치뼈틈새에서 경막주머니종말부 그리고 척수원뿔 사이 거리를 계측하여 성별 및 신장에 따른 상관관계를 분석하였다. 엉치뼈틈새꼭지에서 경막주머니종말부까지 거리는 $62.8{\pm}9.4mm$, 엉치뼈틈새꼭지에서 척수원뿔까지 거리는 $232.2{\pm}21.8mm$, 엉치뼈틈새꼭지에서 경막주머니종말부 사이 최소 거리는 34.8 mm, 최대 거리는 93.9 mm, 엉치뼈틈새꼭지에서 척수원뿔 사이 최소 거리는 155.0 mm, 최대 거리는 284.0 mm이었다. 엉치뼈틈새꼭지에서 경막주머니종말부까지, 그리고 엉치뼈틈새꼭지에서 척수원뿔까지 거리는 모두 여성이 남성보다 짧게 나타났고(p<0.05), 엉치뼈틈새꼭지에서 경막 종말부 및 척수원뿔 사이 거리는 신장에 대해 유의한 상관관계를 보였다(p<0.01). 이 연구의 결과는 한국 성인의 엉치뼈틈새에서 경막주머니종말부 및 척수원뿔 사이 거리에 대한 생체 계측 자료를 제공하며, 경막바깥공간에 대한 임상적 시술의 안전성 확보와 한국인의 체형에 맞는 카테터 개발에 도움이 될 것이라 생각한다.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.47-51
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• 2009

Background: The blind sacroiliac joint (SIJ) block cannot always be performed accurately; it is commonly performed in the office based setting because intraarticular and periarticular injections are effective for SIJ pain. However, knowledge on the surface anatomy of the SIJ is lacking. The purpose of this study was to analyze the surface anatomical location of the posterior-inferior margin of the SIJ. Methods: After informed consent was obtained, fifty patients undergoing SIJ block in the prone position were examined. The oblique angles where the anterior-inferior margin and the posterior-inferior margin of the SIJ overlap on X-ray were evaluated. In addition, the surface anatomical relationships between the posterior-inferior margin of the SIJ on X-ray and the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) and sacral hiatus by palpation were assessed. Results: The oblique angle was $5.4{\pm}2.9^{\circ}$. The vertical and transverse distance between the posterior-inferior margin of the SIJ and PSIS were $3.8{\pm}0.8cm$ and $0.9{\pm}0.6cm$, respectively. The vertical and transverse distance between the posterior-inferior margin of the SIJ and the midpoint of the sacral hiatus were $3.4{\pm}0.7cm$ and $3.9{\pm}0.6cm$, respectively. Only the vertical distance between the posterior-inferior margin of the SIJ and PSIS showed significant difference between the male and the female groups (P = 0.0016). Conclusions: The measurements in this study can be used as a reference standards for the blind SIJ block.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.214-219
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• 1997

Background: Epidural neural blockade with local anesthetics combined with steroids has been in clinical trials for patients with low back pain. But pain treatment of low back pain remains somewhat problematic. Many patients with low back pain have epidural fibrosis and adhesions proved with magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) examination. These findings might play an important role in the origin of back pain. Present study was aims to investigate the effect of epidural adhesiolysis in patients with low back pain. Methods: We investigated 76 patients suspected with epidural fibrosis and adhesion was suspected. Nerve pathology was demonstrated and epidural fibrosis suspected or proved with MRI examination. 17G needle specially designed by Racz was inserted at sacral hiatus and catheter was inserted untill its tip was located at lesion site under fluoroscopic guidance. Injection of contrast dye was achieved and prospected spread of agents. Injection of 0.25% bupivacaine, triamcinolone, and 10% hypertonic saline via catheter were carried out daily for 3 days. Evaluation included assessment of pain relief (Numerical Rating Scale; NRS) post-epidural adhesiolysis 3 days, 1 week, and 3 months. We also looked for complication of epidural adhesiolysis. Results: Statistical analysis(Friedman nonparametric repeated measures test and Dune's multiple comparison test) demonstrated NRS was significantly less during 3 months after epidural adhesiolysis(P<0.05). Especially, there is a extremely significance in post-epidural adhesiolysis 3 days (P<0.001). Only four patients reported any complications the most common symptom among three persistent headache but disappeared after a few months without residual sequelae. Conclusion: We conclude epidural adhesiolysis is a safe and effective method of pain therapy for low back pain with proven lumbo-sacral fibrosis and adhesion. A direct visualization by epiduroscopy may be more useful to the resulting functional changes after epidural adhesiolysis.