Ultrasound may help doctors place epidurals when they Can't feel the spine
NCT ID NCT07269184
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether using ultrasound to guide epidural needle placement works better than relying on touch alone in patients whose spine bones are hard to feel. About 60 adults having general surgery will take part. Researchers will compare how often the first attempt succeeds, how long the procedure takes, and how many complications occur.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * Scheduled for elective general surgery * Planned epidural catheterization * Aged 18-60 years * ASA physical status I-III * Spinous processes not palpable (class3) Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindication to epidural catheterization * ASA physical status IV-V * Diagnosed with scoliosis * Presence of anatomical deformities * Declining to participate in the study * Patients for whom follow-up conditions cannot be ensured
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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.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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