Knotting is a well-known but rare complication of the use of epidural catheters. We report the case of a knotted catheter successfully removed by simple traction, after determining its ultimate tensile strength. We reviewed the case reports published since 1979. We assessed the prevalence of this complication, the impact of placement technique on a knot’s occurrence, the value of the different imaging modalities, and the one of various techniques used for catheter removal. A knotted catheter can often be removed intact with steady and gentle traction. Before pulling on an entrapped catheter and to avoid breakage, it may be useful to assess its ultimate tensile strength on its free extremity or another identical catheter. Limiting the length of a catheter threaded in the epidural space during its insertion seems to be the best way to avoid knots.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.