The Impact of Spinal Needle Selection on Postdural Puncture Headache: A Meta-Analysis and Metaregression of Randomized Studies

Background and Objectives Potentially broadened indications for spinal anesthesia require increased understanding of the risk factors and prevention measures associated with postdural puncture headache (PDPH). This review is designed to examine the association between spinal needle characteristics and incidence of PDPH. Methods Meta-analysis and metaregression was performed on randomized controlled trials to determine the effect of needle design and gauge on the incidence of PDPH after controlling for patient confounders such as age, sex, and year of publication. Results Fifty-seven randomized controlled trials (n = 16416) were included in our analysis, of which 32 compared pencil-point design with cutting-needle design and 25 compared individual gauges of similar design. Pencil-point design was associated with a statistically significant reduction in incidence of PDPH (risk ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.31–0.54; P

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