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The Ligamentum Flavum

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Atlas of Functional Anatomy for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine

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Abstract

Classically, anesthesiologists identify the epidural space using the “loss of resistance” technique. This method relies on the distinctive drop in resistance against needle advancement and fluid injection as the epidural needle is advanced through the ligamentum flavum. Knowledge of anatomy and of variations of the ligamentum flavum is essential in understanding the loss of resistance technique and its potential anatomic pitfalls.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anaesthesiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Philipp Lirk MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Philipp Lirk MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Philipp Lirk MD, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Clinical Medical Sciences and Institute of Applied Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of CEU San Pablo, Madrid, Spain, and Madrid-Montepríncipe University Hospital, Madrid, Spain

    Miguel Angel Reina

  2. Department of Surgical Specialties, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Management, General University Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    José Antonio De Andrés

  3. College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Anesthesiology, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York School of Regional, Anesthesia (NYSORA), New York, NY, USA, and Columbia University, New York, New York, USA

    Admir Hadzic

  4. Laboratory of Surgical NeuroAnatomy, Human Anatomy and Embryology Unit, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Alberto Prats-Galino

  5. Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Human Anatomy and Embryology Unit, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and Clinic Hospital, Barcelona, Spain

    Xavier Sala-Blanch

  6. Discipline of Anesthesiology, The University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    André A.J. van Zundert

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Lirk, P. (2015). The Ligamentum Flavum. In: Reina, M., De Andrés, J., Hadzic, A., Prats-Galino, A., Sala-Blanch, X., van Zundert, A. (eds) Atlas of Functional Anatomy for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09522-6_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09522-6_33

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09521-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09522-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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