Accuro Versus Traditional Landmark Palpation Technique to Determine Accurate Spinal Level for Procedures

Currently, at UVA, handheld ultrasound devices (like those used to view an unborn baby) are only two dimensional. The Accuro is a three dimensional handheld ultrasound device. This device uses sound waves to create pictures of the spine in three dimensions. This may allow the physician to view the spine in more detail for procedures such as spinal anesthesia and other diagnostic procedures.

The investigators aim to assess the benefit of using the Accuro versus traditional landmark palpation technique to determine accurate spinal level for procedures. Patients who undergo interventional pain procedure per standard care under fluoroscopy and require the presence of an anesthesia provider at the UVA Pain Management Clinic will be approached for enrollment.

Anesthesia Providers will first identify the L4/L5 space using the traditional technique of palpating the iliac crests to estimate spinal level, which will be marked with a single dot from a marking pen. The provider will then use the Accuro 3000 to identify the L4/L5 interspace and mark this point with two dots. Participants will then be taken into the fluoroscopy suite for their scheduled procedure. Since the skin marks will not show up on fluoroscopy, and metal instrument will be laid on the skin at the interspace or interspaces that were marked using the palpation and Accuro techniques. The anesthesiology attending provider in the fluoroscopy suite will then confirm the true interspace position of these marks under fluoroscopy. It will then be recorded how many spaces off the palpation and Accuro techniques are from the intended L4/L5 level.