Can ultrasound take the guesswork out of spinal anesthesia?
NCT ID NCT03687411
First seen Aug 07, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026
Summary
This trial is developing and testing a system that uses ultrasound to automatically identify spinal landmarks, helping doctors find the right spot for spinal anesthesia. The study includes people who need spinal anesthesia for surgery, with a focus on obese patients, where traditional methods are less accurate. The goal is to see if this technology can improve the success rate of the first needle attempt and reduce complications.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Neuraxial ultrasonography
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a real-time ultrasound guidance system that makes spinal anesthesia safer and more effective, especially for people with obesity.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage, multi-phase study with a small number of participants. The technology may not work as hoped, and results may not apply to everyone.
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.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
May 2018
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
A government agency
The lead sponsor is a government body.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
21 to 75 years
- 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 Hide 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: First phase: * Age 21 - 75 years old patients who require neuraxial anesthesia for surgical procedure; * Normal body mass index (Weight 40-90 kg, Height 140-180cm). Second-fourth phases: * Obese patients aged between 21-75 years old; * body mass index more than 30. Exclusion Criteria: * History of scoliosis; * History of spinal instrumentation; * Drug allergy to ultrasound transmission gel; * Visible wound or injury in the lumbar spine.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Obesity are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
KK Women's and Children's Hospital
RECRUITINGSingapore, 229899, Singapore
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Custom knee guides put to the test in obese patients
- A pill for obesity? early human trial puts MDR-001 to the test
- Can a weekly shot help people who still struggle with weight after bariatric surgery?
- Do GLP-1 Weight-Loss drugs change how teens eat and feel?
- Can electrical muscle stimulation boost exercise benefits after menopause?
- Can a cold cloth on the neck calm Post-Surgery nausea?