The sacral hiatus is the external lower opening of the spinal canal
UGRA
6 – The sacral nerves
The sacral nerves provide innervation of the deep and superficial pelvic floor and the viscera of the pelvic cavity
7 – Sonoanatomy for the caudal block
The caudal space is visualised underneath the sacral part of the supraspinous ligament
8 – Sonoanatomy of the sacral part of the supraspinous ligament
The caudal (epidural) space is located underneath the sacral part of the supraspinous ligament
The ligament is deep to the iliocostalis and longissimus thoracis muscles
9 – Sonoanatomy of the sacral hiatus – transverse view
The sacral hiatus and the caudal space can be visualised with ultrasound in the transverse view
2 – The vertebral canal
The caudal block is performed by injection of local anaesthetic via the lower external opening of the vertebral canal – called the sacral hiatus
Jean Francois Fernel (1497-1558) a French physician, was the first who described the vertebral canal
3 – The supraspinous ligament
The left and right supraspinous ligaments extend from the ischial spines to the sacrum and coccyx
The sacral part of the supraspinous ligament is the caudal end of the supraspinous ligament, that connects the spinous processes from the seventh spinous process to the coccyx
The sacral part of the supraspinous ligament covers the sacral hiatus – the caudal opening of the vertebral canal
The caudal block is performed by inserting the needle through the supraspinous ligament into the sacral hiatus
4 – Anatomy of sacral hiatus
The sacral hiatus is located between the prominent fused articular processes – the cornua – and underneath the sacral part of the supraspinous ligament
4 – The transversalis fascia
The transversalis fascia (TF) covers the deep surface of the transverse abdominis muscle (TAM), the quadratus lumborum muscle QLM) and the psoas major muscle (PMM).
Anteriorly it covers the deep surface of the rectus abdominis muscle; it is covered by the peritoneum
The layers of the abdominal wall from the outside are: external oblique muscle (EOM), internal oblique muscle (IOM) and TAM
The latissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) and the erector spinae muscle (ESM) are superficial to the QL muscle
5 – Place probe in the transverse plane
The patient is placed in the lateral position with the side to be anaesthetized turned upwards
A curved array transducer (6-2 MHz) is placed in the transverse plane at the abdominal flank immediately cranial to the iliac crest