The Distance from Skin to the Lumbar Epidural Space or Epidural Space to Dura Mater in Japanese Parturients in the Sitting Position

Abstract

  Epidural or spinal tap is often performed in the sitting position for a parturient. However, the distance from skin to the lumbar epidural space (SED) or epidural space to dura mater (EDD) based on the position in Japanese parturients is not available. Therefore, we examined SED and EDD in 230 parturients with epidural or spinal needles by measuring those distances in clinical practice. The SED and EDD were 38±6mm (26-66mm) (n=230) and 5±2 mm (1-10mm) (n=153) (mean±SD (range)) , respectively. SED was correlated with body weight or BMI, whereas EDD was not.