Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition
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Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. · Sep 2016
Neonatal lumbar puncture: are clinical landmarks accurate?
The intercristal line (ICL), defined by the superior aspect of the iliac crest, is used to clinically identify the entry point for lumbar puncture (LP) in neonates. Accepted practice is to insert the needle at the L3/4 or L4/5 intervertebral space. ⋯ There are wide variations in the positions of the ICL and potential LP site. Using the ICL to guide LP does not appear to be accurate, raising the possibility of potential spinal cord damage.