Guenter Sprotte

Biographical Timeline

• Born
• Died

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Medical Eponyms

Sprotte spinal needle (1979–1980s)

• Tip design: Rounded, non-cutting tip with large notch-like lateral opening
• Mechanism: Maintains atraumatic dural separation while improving CSF flow
• Advantage over Whitacre: Less directional injection, faster CSF return
• Clinical role: Became preferred in obstetric spinal anaesthesia
• Legacy: Refined, rather than replaced, Whitacre’s concept

Sprotte solved the engineering limitations of the original Whitacre needle while preserving its biological principle.

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Key Medical Contributions

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Major Publications

• Sprotte G, Schedel R, Pajunk H, Pajunk H. Eine “atraumatische” Universalkanüle für einzeitige Regionalanaesthesien. Klinische Ergebnisse nach sechsjähriger Erprobung bei über 30,000 Regionalanaesthesien [An “atraumatic” universal needle for single-shot regional anesthesia: clinical results and a 6 year trial in over 30,000 regional anesthesias]. Reg Anaesth. 1987 Jul;10(3):104-8.

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References

Biography

Eponymous terms

• Cesarini M, Torrielli R, Lahaye F, Mene JM, Cabiro C. Sprotte needle for intrathecal anaesthesia for caesarean section: incidence of postdural puncture headache. Anaesthesia. 1990 Aug;45(8):656-8.