San Diego—A study that compared epidurals placed in the L5-S1 interspace and those placed in the most clinically accessible lumbar interspace cephalad found no significant differences in efficacy. The mean number of dermatomes blocked, number of interventions required to achieve adequate analgesia, and pain scores following epidural placement and at delivery were all similar in the L5-S1 and control groups.
However, the study did demonstrate the utility of ultrasound in planning epidural