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Buttock groove may help doctors find spine for epidurals

NCT ID NCT05983029

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looked at whether the groove between the buttocks (intergluteal cleft) can help doctors find the midline of the spine in pregnant women, compared to using ultrasound. 100 women at 37+ weeks of pregnancy were included. The goal was to see how far this landmark is from the actual spine midline, which could make epidurals easier and faster.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this could give doctors a simple, non-ultrasound way to locate the spine midline for epidurals in labor.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed observational study (100 people) that only measures distance, not actual procedure success. Results may not apply to all patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

100 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2023

Finished

Sep 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Pregnant patients

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria * Female * 18 years of age or older * Gestation of 37 weeks or above Exclusion criteria * Acute or chronic confusional state * Allergy to ultrasound gel * Positive for COVID-19 and/or presence of symptoms consistent with SARS-Cov-2, such as anosmia, cough or fever * History of previous surgery to the spine * Scoliosis * Unable to speak and/or understand English

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Obstetric anesthesia problems

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond

    London, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom

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