History of Spinal Needles
History of spinal needles from early lumbar puncture and Quincke cutting bevels to Greene, Whitacre and Sprotte atraumatic designs reducing PDPH.
Category Anaesthesiology
W. Wayne Babcock
William Wayne Babcock Jr (1872-1963), American surgeon linked to spinal anaesthesia, Babcock forceps, vein stripping, cranioplasty and surgical innovation.
George Pitkin
George Philo Pitkin (1885-1943), American surgeon. Inventor of Spinocain, Pitkin spinal needle, syringe and tiltometer for controllable spinal anaesthesia.
John Snow
John Snow (1813-1858), English physician. Pioneer of anaesthesia and epidemiology. Defined etherization stages and traced cholera outbreaks to contaminated water in London.
Emery A. Rovenstine
Emery A. Rovenstine (1895–1960), American anaesthesiologist linked to directional spinal needle, nerve block and geriatric anaesthesia.
Charles Pravaz
Charles Gabriel Pravaz (1791–1853). French orthopaedic surgeon developed the Pravaz syringe, an early controlled injection device for aneurysm treatment.
Gaston Labat
Gaston Labat (1876–1934). Regional anaesthesia pioneer, author of Regional Anesthesia, founder of ASRA, and namesake of the Labat sciatic block, Labat spinal needle and Labat outfit
Lincoln F. Sise
Lincoln Fleetford Sise (1874-1942). Lahey Clinic anaesthetist known for fine-gauge spinal needle introducers and safer spinal anaesthesia.
Barnett A. Greene
Barnett Alan Greene (1907-1999) American anaesthesiologist. Use of fine-gauge obstetric spinal needles and reducing post-spinal headache.
Herbert M. Greene
Herbert Merton Greene (1878-1962), American physician who linked post-lumbar puncture headache to dural trauma and designed the Greene needle
History of Neuraxial Anaesthesia
History of neuraxial anaesthesia: milestones in spinal and epidural blockade from Koller and Corning to Quincke, Bier, Tuohy and Curbelo.
William Bainbridge
William Seaman Bainbridge (1870-1947), American surgeon, cancer educator, naval physician and early advocate of spinal analgesia in children.