Predictors of Epidural Depth in Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy and Model Development

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Conditions studied: Epidural Anesthesia, Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL)

In brief

Accurate estimation of epidural depth is critical for safe epidural anesthesia during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Although various imaging modalities can predict epidural depth, they increase healthcare burden and are not always feasible in emergency or bedside settings. Identifying simple, easily obtainable clinical parameters-such as sex, age, and body mass index (BMI)-for predicting epidural depth has become a research priority. However, systematic investigations specifically targeting the Chinese population remain scarce. This retrospective study aims to identify independent factors influencing epidural depth in PCNL patients and to develop simple, level-specific predictive models for different puncture sites, thereby providing a practical reference for clinical epidural anesthesia.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07697053
Run by: Tongji Hospital
People needed: 3278
Starts: 2026-06-30
Expected to finish: 2026-08-31
Last updated by the study team: 2026-07-16

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Age ≥ 18 years
Successful epidural puncture and catheter placement using the midline approach
Clear documentation of puncture level and puncture depth in the anesthesia record

You may not qualify if…

Dural puncture during anesthesia (including those who subsequently had a successful repuncture)
Use of the paramedian approach for epidural puncture
Uncertain epidural anesthesia effect requiring combined general anesthesia
Incomplete clinical data

Where it is running

Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology — Wuhan, Hubei, China

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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