Identification of cervicothoracic intervertebral spaces by surface landmarks and ultrasound

摘要

Purpose Precise localization of the cervicothoracic vertebral levels is essential for accurate placement of epidural catheters. Previous studies have demonstrated that anesthesiologists are inaccurate when using surface anatomy to locate lumbar vertebral levels. Our study was designed to determine the agreement between anatomical landmarks and the ultrasound technique in identifying the T7-8 and C7-T1 intervertebral spaces.