Postdural Puncture Headache and Spinal Needle Design

Quantitative analysis of radioisotope cisternography in the diagnosis of intracranial hypotension

“…Given the remarkable reduction of postlumbar puncture headache with a small sized and/or blunt-tipped spinal needle, CSF extravasation at the puncture site should be minimal in this study. 9,21 Thus, inaccuracy caused by postpuncture radioisotope leakage seems to be negligible.…”

Anesthetic and recovery profiles of lidocaine versus mepivacaine for spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing outpatient orthopedic arthroscopic procedures

“…There is a decrease in postdural puncture headaches (PDPH) after spinal anesthesia with the use of small-gauge pencil-point needles [1]. Due to this decrease, spinal anesthesia has become increasingly popular in ambulatory surgery.…”

Headache rate and cost of care following lumbar puncture at a single tertiary care hospital

“…In fact, operator difficulty and failure rate are higher with cutting needles. 8 Examples of noncutting needles include the Sprotte and Whitacre needles. 9 These needles are readily available through various manufacturers.…”