A Novel Ultrasound Software System for Lumbar Level Identification in Obstetric Patients

Abstract

(Can J Anaesth. 2022;69:1211–1219) Manual palpation is the primary method that obstetric anesthesiologists use to identify the optimal point of neuraxial anesthesia placement. As it is unreliable, especially when performed in patients with a higher body mass index (BMI), lumbar ultrasound (LUS) is an intriguing option. LUS for neuraxial labor anesthesia and analgesia has improved accuracy in lumbar vertebral level identification and improved first-pass success rate. Despite potential LUS benefits, many physicians continue using manual palpation because they are not proficient in the technical skills required to perform or interpret LUS images. To make LUS simpler and more user-friendly, automated ultrasound software known as Spine Level Identification (SLIDE) system was developed. SLIDE automatically identifies vertebral landmarks in real-time as the ultrasound transducer moves over the skin. This study aimed to determine whether SLIDE accurately identifies the L3-L4 intervertebral space in healthy term parturient women compared with the manual palpation method.