[Intradural anesthesia with a 27-gauge Sprotte needle for arthroscopic knee surgery in ambulatory patients under 40 years of age].
OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical usefulness of intradural anesthesia through a 27 gauge Sprotte ("pencil point") needle for arthroscopic knee surgery in outpatients under 40 years of age. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A retrospective study of 116 patients under 40 scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery, analyzing the incidence of post-dural puncture headache and backache after anesthesia provided with a 27 gauge (0.4 mm) Sprotte needle. Follow-up assessments were performed 24, 48 and 72 hours after surgery. We also studied technical difficulty and failure rate encountered in achieving blockade with this type of needle. RESULTS: We recorded one case of headache (0.86%) that resolved within 48 hours with conservative treatment. Backache was reported by eight patients (6.8%) and was described as slight in all cases. The small caliber and design of the spinal needle caused no technical difficulties and anesthesia was successfully provided for all patients. Time of hospital stay ranged from 330 to 420 minutes (mean 360 +/- 45 minutes). No patient had to stay overnight. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm that intradural anesthesia with 27 gauge Sprotte needles is an acceptable anesthetic technique for outpatient surgery in young patients given that the rate of complications is low.