intrathecal

[ in-truh-thee-kuhl ]

adjective

1. Anatomy. situated within the thecal sac: covering the spinal cord.
2. Medicine/Medical. administered into the thecal sac:

   intrathecal injections.

noun

1. Pharmacology. anesthesia administered into the thecal sac:

   She was given an intrathecal during labor.

Other Words From

• in·tra·the·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of intrathecal¹

First recorded in 1885–90; intra- ( def ) + theca ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Medtronic allegedly sponsored the events over a nine-year period to persuade Asfora to use Medtronic products, namely its SynchroMed II intrathecal infusion pumps, which are implantable devices used to deliver medication to patients.

From Washington Times

Drugs can be injected directly into the intrathecal spaces in the spinal cord.

From Nature

Another drawback of most antisense oligonucleotide therapies targeting the brain is that they typically require an intrathecal injection, similar to a spinal tap, which makes many patients uneasy.

From Scientific American

“It must not be used by the intrathecal, epidural, intravenous or any other unspecified routes,” the company wrote.

From New York Times

Devices such as spinal cord stimulators can be implanted that generate electrical pulses to the nerves to alleviate pain or intrathecal pumps can deliver pain medications directly into the spinal fluid.

From Washington Times